Definition of KINETIC

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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.

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 on the Web

Made of metal with an enamel finish, the beetle is about 9 inches tall and has a 9-inch chain and kinetic spinning legs. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Colorful, whimsical or classic, yard art can enhance your garden’s overall appeal," 3 July 2019 The fourth first-half goal went to Rodriguez after Quintero provided a kinetic pass into space. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Minnesota United offense comes alive in 7-1 thrashing of Cincinnati," 29 June 2019 There's sandpaper, carpeting, bouncy toys, kinetic sand and other kinds of similar stuff. — Sergio Carmona, sun-sentinel.com, "Synagogue preschool’s sensory room provides pathway to learning," 28 June 2019 Boyle has long excelled at injecting music-video surrealism into his feature films, from the kinetic Trainspotting to the symphonic Steve Jobs. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Yesterday Imagines a World Where the Beatles Never Existed," 26 June 2019 Photo: Paul Warchol Manifold House Arlington, Va. 5,060 square feet Five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms Mr. Jameson calls this a ‘kinetic sculpture.’ The design was inspired by the owner’s collection of vintage Vespa scooters and fishing tackle boxes. — Nancy Keates, WSJ, "A Perfectionist Architect’s Experimental Home," 27 Dec. 2018 At The Commons in Columbus, Swiss artist John Tinguely built the 7-ton kinetic sculpture in the 1970s on a commission from the Miller family. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "Mass Ave's electronic 'Ann Dancing' needs $262,800. Here's what's behind that number.," 4 June 2019 However, Universal had high hopes for their kinetic time travel comedy from director Robert Zemeckis and their ambitions paid off big time with an $11.1-million opening on a $19-million budget. — Dave Lewis, latimes.com, "From 'Back to the Future' to 'Wild Wild West': A look at the Fourth of July's biggest box office hits and misses," 29 June 2018 Photo: Ben Curtis/Associated Press Diplomats said the outcome and conduct of the poll could have a kinetic effect across the continent—for good or ill. — Joe Parkinson, WSJ, "Nigeria’s Election Gets Under Way After a Stop-Start Runup," 23 Feb. 2019

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.