Definition of kinetic
1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith
2a : active, livelyb : dynamic, energizing a kinetic performer
3 : of or relating to kinetic art
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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
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Included was kinetic sand--sand that sticks to itself and keeps it shape.
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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.
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It is estimated that an impact with an asteroid of that size will occur, on average, once every 80,000 years, and its impact energy would be equivalent to 750 megatons of kinetic energy.
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The Last Knight, in which robots help humans recover Merlin's staff to save earth (actual plot synopsis), has genuinely impressive visual effects and Michael Bay's standard kinetic direction, though critics hate to admit it.
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The kinetic PAC tamed John Webster's unruly play and gave us a biting, bloody, ironic masterwork.
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Intel is developing swarms of drones that fly in coordinated patterns, creating kinetic light shows above music festivals and special events.
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Without thrust, the only means to keep air flowing over the wing is to trade altitude for airspeed (potential energy into kinetic energy).
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The kitchen has high-end appliances, an espresso/cappuccino maker, a curved breakfast bar and a $10,000 faucet that looks like a kinetic sculpture.
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.
Origin and Etymology of kinetic
Greek kinētikos, from kinētos, from kinein —see -kinesis
Other Physics Terms
KINETIC Defined for English Language Learners
kinetic
playDefinition of kinetic for English Language Learners
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: of or relating to the movement of physical objects
KINETIC Defined for Kids
kinetic
playDefinition of kinetic for Students
: relating to the motions of objects and the forces associated with them kinetic energy
Medical Dictionary
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See words that rhyme with kinetic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for kinetic Nglish: Translation of kinetic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of kinetic for Arabic speakers
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