kinetic

play

adjective ki·net·ic \ kə-ˈne-tik also kī- \

Definition of kinetic

1 :of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith

2 a :active, lively

b :dynamic, energizing

a kinetic performer

3 :of or relating to kinetic art

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kinetically

play \kə-ˈne-ti-k(ə-)lē also kī-\ adverb

See kinetic defined for English-language learners

See kinetic defined for kids

kinetic was our Word of the Day on 08/06/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of kinetic in a Sentence

the novel's plot is kinetic and fast-paced, and its effect on the reader is much like that of a surfeit of caffeine
the loft district is the locus of the city's kinetic arts scene

Recent Examples of kinetic from the Web

The play, now getting a very kinetic staging at Ion Theatre in Hillcrest, revolves around its own sometimes odd combination of political thriller and almost slapstick-y humor.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Ion's 'North' offers of-the-moment laughs and shocks," 28 Aug. 2017
Walking to class, students sign in rapid-fire bursts of kinetic language.

— b.r.j. o'donnell, The Atlantic, "‘We Have 14 Black Deaf Americans With Ph.D.s—14’," 16 Aug. 2017
Channel kinetic energy through this kind of talent and every possession reveals options upon options upon options.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Denver Is Quietly Building an Offensive Juggernaut," 15 Aug. 2017
Some showstoppers include a huge, pagoda-wearing wolf by the creative collective Electric Coffin, Casey Curran’s exquisitely odd kinetic sculptures, and Dylan Neuwirth’s neon installations that are perfectly placed to activate their spaces.

— gayle clemans, The Seattle Times, "Review: ‘Out of Sight’ offers a good look at Pacific Northwest art scene," 7 Aug. 2017
An armor capable of shrugging off kinetic energy and shaped charge (high explosive, anti-tank) rounds would allow the new tank to shrug of main gun rounds, anti-tank missiles, and infantry anti-tank weapons.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Army Chief Outlines Future Tank Features," 31 July 2017
And electromagnetic kinetic weapons (railguns) with muzzle velocities of 5,000 miles per hour, twice as fast as the muzzle velocity of a high-caliber bullet.

— george will, National Review, "The Wild Blue Yonder Ain’t What It Used to Be," 22 July 2017
Included was kinetic sand--sand that sticks to itself and keeps it shape.

— linda gandee/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "The North Ridgeville library proves sandcastles aren't just for the beach anymore," 17 July 2017
Laird’s kinetic prose, full of insight about politics, history and religion, dazzles eye and ear, and his tale summons a dark roil of violence and trauma.

— New York Times, "12 New Books We Recommend This Week," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kinetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Kinetic comes from the Greek word kinētikos, meaning "of motion, which in turn traces to the verb kinein, meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word cinema can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek kinēma, meaning "movement, to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinématographe." "Cinématographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word cinematograph, of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.