velocity
Americannoun
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velocities
plural
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rapidity of motion or operation; swiftness; speed.
a high wind velocity.
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Mechanics. the time rate of change of position of a body in a specified direction.
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the rate of speed with which something happens; rapidity of action or reaction.
noun
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speed of motion, action, or operation; rapidity; swiftness
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u, v, w. physics a measure of the rate of motion of a body expressed as the rate of change of its position in a particular direction with time. It is measured in metres per second, miles per hour, etc
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physics (not in technical usage) another word for speed
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The speed and direction of motion of a moving body. Velocity is a vector quantity.
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Compare acceleration speed
Synonym Usage
See speed.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of velocity
First recorded in 1540–50, velocity is from the Latin word vēlōcitās speed. See velocipede, -ty 2
Explanation
If your rocket is traveling at maximum velocity, it means it can't go any faster. Velocity is quickness of motion or action. A synonym is celerity; a simpler word is speed. In physics, velocity specifically refers to the measurement of the rate and direction of change in position of an object. It is a vector quantity that specifies both the speed of a body and its direction of motion. The noun velocity descends from Middle English velocite, from Old French, from Latin vēlōcitās, from vēlōx "fast."
Vocabulary lists containing velocity
Automobiles
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Word Generation Science - Energy
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
With an exit velocity of 113.1 mph, it was his hardest-hit home run since June 20 and his third-hardest hit of the year, according to Statcast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
A velocity cap prevents their integration into missiles and fast-moving drones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
By the third inning, Misiorowski’s fastball velocity, which touched 104 mph, had dropped to double digits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Sorkin’s film highlights the conflict between slow-moving reporting and the light-speed pace of modern culture, a velocity enhanced by the very tech the film has in its crosshairs.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
"Relative velocity to Hermes: twelve meters per second," Johanssen said.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
The situation becomes much more complicated once the spacecraft reaches relativistic velocities.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
The real cause for the explosion in torn ulnar collateral ligaments is now believed to be high velocities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
"These theories assume that one is describing something with well-defined velocities and energies," explains Diana Kirschbaum.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 15, 2026
These days, sessions on the range are more about monitoring swing velocities and spin rates than where the ball actually lands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2025
We can determine the present rate of expansion by measuring the velocities at which other galaxies are moving away from us, using the Doppler effect.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
