kinetic
adjective
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Ever watch a top spin? Or see one pool ball collide with another and send it across the felt? When you do, you’re witnessing kinetic energy—the energy of something in motion. Kinetics is a branch of science that deals with the effects of forces upon the motions of material bodies, and something described as kinetic has to do with the motion of material bodies and the forces associated with them. Both words were adopted in the 19th century from the Greek word kinētikos (meaning "of motion") for use in the field of physics, but the adjective kinetic proved too apt for broader application, and by the 1930s it was being used to describe people and things full of literal and figurative energy as well.
Examples of kinetic in a Sentence
Vivienne Walt, Time, 10 June 2025
From Congress to prison Weiner, a brash and ambitious politician whose New York accent and wily, kinetic style made for solid theater on the House floor, was once someone worth watching in the Democratic Party.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
This transportable, affordable technology can be used to counter drone swarms rather than relying on expensive kinetic counter-attack measures.
—Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Taiwanese politics are unstable, with no consensus on the need to increase defense spending, and there are a range of coercive measures short of kinetic conflict that could enable Chinese leader Xi Jinping to win Taiwan without firing a shot.
—Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for kinetic
Cite this Entry
“Kinetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kinetic. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kinetic
adjective
from Greek kinētikos "relating to motion," derived from kinein "to move" — related to cinema
Medical Definition
kinetic
adjective
kī-
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