Showing results for "mechanics"

• plural of mechanic.

mechanics

American  

[muh-kan-iks] / məˈkæn ɪks /

noun

mechanics plural

1. (used with a singular verb) the branch of physics that deals with the action of forces on bodies and with motion, comprised of kinetics, statics, and kinematics.

2. (used with a singular verb) the theoretical and practical application of this science to machinery, mechanical appliances, etc.

3. (usually used with a plural verb) the technical aspect or working part; mechanism; structure.

4. (usually used with a plural verb) routine or basic methods, procedures, techniques, or details.

   the mechanics of running an office; the mechanics of baseball.

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mechanics British  

/ mɪˈkænɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the branch of science, divided into statics, dynamics, and kinematics, concerned with the equilibrium or motion of bodies in a particular frame of reference See also quantum mechanics wave mechanics statistical mechanics

2. (functioning as singular) the science of designing, constructing, and operating machines

3. the working parts of a machine

4. the technical aspects of something

   the mechanics of poetic style

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mechanics Scientific  

/ mĭ-kăn′ĭks /

1. The branch of physics concerned with the relationships between matter, force, and energy, especially as they affect the motion of objects.

2. See also classical physics quantum mechanics

3. The functional aspect of a system, such as the mechanics of blood circulation.

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mechanics Cultural  

1. The branch of physics that deals with the motion of material objects. The term mechanics generally refers to the motion of large objects, whereas the study of motion at the level of the atom or smaller is the domain of quantum mechanics.

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The basic laws of mechanics are Newton's laws of motion.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mechanics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mechanics

First recorded in 1640–50; see origin at mechanic, -ics

Explanation

Mechanics is the science of things in motion. If you're a physicist and your specialty is mechanics, you most likely study the way physical bodies are affected by forces and how they affect their environment. Mechanics is one branch of physics — and some mathematicians are also focused on mechanics. You can divide this field of study into classical mechanics and quantum mechanics, but in either case it involves the study of motion and the forces that cause or result from motion. You can also use the noun mechanics when you talk about the inner workings or details of something, like the mechanics of baseball or the mechanics of the banking industry.

Example Sentences

A quantum system, such as a group of qubits, follows the rules of quantum mechanics rather than classical physics.

From Science Daily • Jul. 3, 2026

That likely leaves Bitcoin at the mercy of the “Tinkerbell Effect,” which theorizes that its value is more tied to the belief of its holders than the mechanics of the market.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

Trump also directed the Commerce and Defense departments to deploy quantum sensors, which use quantum mechanics to offer alternatives to traditional global-positioning systems, in the next five years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Those materials reveal a legal culture that has become so familiar with the mechanics of Batson that lawyers are taught how to navigate around it and have developed a way to evade judicial reprimand.

From Slate • Jun. 17, 2026

Brilliant and abrasive, Jenkin had diverse interests in linguistics, electronics, mechanics, arithmetic, physics, chemistry, and economics.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee