velocity

American  

[vuh-los-i-tee] / vəˈlɒs ɪ ti /

noun

• velocities
  plural

1. rapidity of motion or operation; swiftness; speed.

   a high wind velocity.

2. Mechanics. the time rate of change of position of a body in a specified direction.

3. the rate of speed with which something happens; rapidity of action or reaction.

---

velocity British  

/ vɪˈlɒsɪtɪ /

noun

1. speed of motion, action, or operation; rapidity; swiftness

2.  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

3. physics (not in technical usage) another word for speed

---

velocity Scientific  

/ və-lŏs′ĭ-tē /

1. The speed and direction of motion of a moving body. Velocity is a vector quantity.

2. Compare acceleration speed

---

velocity Cultural  

1. The vector giving the speed and direction of motion of any object.

---

Synonym Usage

See speed.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• velocities
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

velocity velocities

“We funded and trucked in fire cannons from oil fields in Texas to get them cannons with much more velocity to help put out the fire,” Lehmkuhl said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The rickety CGI not its strong suit, “Hope” never quite follows through on its crafty first hour of peekaboo velocity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

“Their velocity of building things is extraordinarily high,” Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang has said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Nominal GDP is also growing faster than the money supply, which means the velocity of money, or nominal GDP divided by the money supply, is rising.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

"Relative rotational velocity is 0.05 revolutions per second."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

In an era where velocities are climbing across the game, the 24-year-old Misiorowski is pushing the limits of what was believed to be possible from the human body.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

If Murakami struggled to connect against the slower velocities of the Japanese league, how would he fare against a steady diet of upper-90s heat?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

The resulting simulations replicate the masses, locations, and motions of the Milky Way and Andromeda, as well as the positions and velocities of 31 galaxies just outside the Local Group.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 6, 2026

To create their 3D temperature model, the researchers analyzed a wide range of geophysical data, including seismic velocities, gravity anomalies, and heat flow.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 27, 2025

But the stars themselves are far from fixed; they wheel through space at such unimaginable velocities that to seriously ponder the subject puts one at risk of dizzy spells and a nasty headache.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• acceleration
• momentum
• pace
• quickness
• tempo