velocity

[ vuh-los-i-tee ]

/ vəˈlɒs ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for velocity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ve·loc·i·ties.

rapidity of motion or operation; swiftness; speed: a high wind velocity.

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

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

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Origin of velocity

First recorded in 1540–50, velocity is from the Latin word vēlōcitās speed. See velocipede, -ty²

synonym study for velocity

1. See speed.

Words nearby velocity

velobinding, veloce, velocimeter, velocipede, velociraptor, velocity, velocity head, velocity microphone, velocity modulation, velocity of circulation, velocity of money

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use velocity in a sentence

I know that it’s something that’s helped with my command and also my velocity.
Cleveland’s League-Leading Rotation Relies On Homegrown Talent … From A Single Draft|Travis Sawchik|August 25, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Theorists had shown decades ago that coronal waves’ velocities can be used to infer the strength of the magnetic field.
Check out the first-ever map of the solar corona’s magnetic field|Lisa Grossman|August 21, 2020|Science News
Running a computer model with the stars’ masses, positions and velocities should better predict what’s in store, he says.
Milky Way’s tidal forces are shredding a nearby star cluster|Ken Croswell|August 18, 2020|Science News For Students
RHPs achieve more break on every key dimension, even after controlling for their higher velocity.
What Really Gives Left-Handed Pitchers Their Edge?|Guy Molyneux|August 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

Among pitchers to have thrown 10 innings this season, Luzardo ranks 11th overall, and first among left-handed pitchers, in fastball velocity.
The A’s Aren’t Just Scrappy. They’ve Got Stars.|Travis Sawchik|August 13, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Phone lines would catch fire from the velocity and ferocity of his words.
David Garth, the Consultant Who Talked Up to Voters|Jeff Greenfield|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You use fuel to give you the proper velocity and direction, and then you turn off your fuel tanks and coast there.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Breaks Down ‘Interstellar’: Black Holes, Time Dilations, and Massive Waves|Marlow Stern|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It showcases two of his signature qualities as a writer: narrative velocity and an unerring ear for dialogue.
The Ballad of Johnny France|Richard Ben Cramer|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And nobody needs a 30-round clip of high-velocity, steel-jacketed, armor-piercing ordnance for target shooting.
One Redneck’s Gun Stand|Joe McLean|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the first two hours after launching it, Bijani recouped his $2,000 investment into Three D Velocity.
Videogames for the Blind?|Winston Ross|December 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Such was its velocity that in some parts of the journey the speed was frequently 12 miles an hour.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
The cock springs out of its seat when water gets into the cylinder, and prevents any mischief from the velocity of the fly-wheel.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
The currents generally set to the north, and seldom run with any velocity either to the east or west.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
A great mass of dirt and brush and rock was hurtling down upon them with sickening velocity.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle|Laura Lee Hope
I had a plentiful supply of 130-grain Spitzer-point bullets, a high-velocity, long-range killer that I might get a chance to use.
Valley of the Croen|Lee Tarbell

British Dictionary definitions for velocity

velocity

/ (vɪˈlɒsɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

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

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, etcSymbol: u, v, w

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

Word Origin for velocity

C16: from Latin vēlōcitās, from vēlōx swift; related to volāre to fly

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for velocity

velocity

[ və-lŏs′ĭ-tē ]

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

Cultural definitions for velocity

velocity

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

velocity

Origin of velocity

synonym study for velocity

Words nearby velocity

Words related to velocity

How to use velocity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for velocity

Word Origin for velocity

Scientific definitions for velocity

Cultural definitions for velocity