velocity

noun

ve·​loc·​i·​ty və-ˈlä-sə-tē 

-ˈlä-stē

plural velocities

1

a

: quickness of motion : speed

the velocity of sound

b

: rapidity of movement

[my horse's] strong suit is grace & personal comeliness, rather than velocity

—Mark Twain

c

: speed imparted to something

The power pitcher relies on velocity …

—Tony Scherman

2

: the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time : the derivative of position with respect to time

3

a

: rate of occurrence or action : rapidity

… the velocity of historical change …

—R. J. Lifton

b

: rate of turnover

the velocity of money

Synonyms of velocity

• speed
• rate

Examples of velocity in a Sentence

particles moving at high velocities

measuring the velocity of sound

the velocity of a bullet

Recent Examples on the Web

However, the high-velocity crash will leave a small crater. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026

Dubbing herself a spin pitcher who doesn’t focus on velocity, Sheehan still throws hard, usually hitting between 59 and 64 mph. —Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026

His average exit velocity is 92 mph. —John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026

The technique used to measure the singularities’ velocity could open the door to studying other tiny, fast phenomena in physics, chemistry and biology—or perhaps to find new ways to encode quantum information in materials, according to the researchers. —Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English velocite, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French veloceté, borrowed from Latin vēlōcitāt-, vēlōcitās, from vēlōc-, vēlōx "swift, rapid" (of uncertain origin) + -itāt-, -itās -ity

Note: If going back to earlier *ueg-s-l-o-, perhaps a derivative from the base of vegēre "to give vigor to, enliven" (see vegetate) or vehere "to convey" (Indo-European *u̯eǵh-; see vehicle), assimilated to the -ōk- of ātrōx, ferōx (see atrocious, ferocious). Alternatively, a derivative *uē-lo-, from the Indo-European base *h₂u̯eh₁- "blow" (hence, "windlike"; see wind entry 1) has been suggested.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing velocity

• angular velocity
• escape velocity

Rhymes for velocity

• atrocity
• ferocity
• monstrosity
• pomposity
• porosity
• precocity
• schistosity
• verbosity
• viscosity
• animosity
• curiosity
• generosity

Kids Definition

velocity

noun

ve·​loc·​i·​ty və-ˈläs-ət-ē 

-ˈläs-tē

plural velocities

1

: quickness of motion : speed

the velocity of sound

2

: the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time

3

: rate of occurrence or action

the velocity of political change