rapidity

noun

ra·​pid·​i·​ty rə-ˈpi-də-tē How to pronounce rapidity (audio)
ra-
: the quality or state of being rapid

Examples of rapidity in a Sentence

the rapidity with which she can do mental math calculations is amazing
Recent Examples on the Web The rapidity with which the film transitions from a slapstick chase sequence to a hilarious physical accident to a moving hospital visit, while maintaining its tone throughout, is emblematic of how fine-tuned the proceedings are. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023 There is no reason that the question of criminal immunity — a big, consequential question never taken up directly by the Supreme Court — needs to be decided with lightning-quick rapidity. Rich Lowry, National Review, 14 Jan. 2024 With unnerving rapidity, books are on their way to becoming a countercultural medium—one whose insistence on focus and complexity, on the slow building of story and argument, stands against so much else that daily assaults our eyes and ears. The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2023 At Washington Dulles International Airport, the autumn air rushed about with almost equal rapidity. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2023 The rapidity with which Ernest, without a glimmer or a flicker of self-awareness, is drawn into petty crime and then into murderous schemes, suggests an existential vortex of normalized depredation. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2023 Given the rapidity with which fire spreads, taking time to first call 911 seems counter intuitive. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 7 Sep. 2023 On the other hand, to cope with the rapidity and unpredictability of technological change, practitioners also need to be able to quickly grasp new developments and adapt to change. Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2023 There is no little irony in recognizing that the rapidity with which this took place—a brief 120 years from the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778 to the annexation of the kingdom in 1898—is ample testimony to the generosity of spirit, patience, endurance, and adaptability of the Hawaiians. Time, 17 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rapidity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Latin; French rapidité, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin rapiditāt-, rapiditās, from rapidus "flowing violently, rapid entry 1" + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rapidity was in 1654

Dictionary Entries Near rapidity

Cite this Entry

“Rapidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapidity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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