relating to, characterized by, or caused by motion
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ki•net•ic /kɪˈnɛtɪk, kaɪ-/USA pronunciation
adj.
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Mechanicsof, related to, or caused by motion:kinetic energy.
n.
- kinetics, [uncountable* used with a singular verb] the science or study of motion or movement.
ki•net•ic
(ki net′ik, kī-),USA pronunciation adj.
ki•net′i•cal•ly, adv.
-kinetic,
- pertaining to motion.
- caused by motion.
- characterized by movement:Running and dancing are kinetic activities.
- Greek kīnētikós moving, equivalent. to kīnē- (verbid stem of kīneîn to move) + -tikos -tic
- 1850–55
-kinetic,
- a combining form found on adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in -kinesia or -kinesis: bradykinetic.
- Greek kīnēt(ós) (see kineto-) + -ic
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'kinetic' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Bernoulli
- Boltzmann
- Brownian movement
- Clausius
- Jeans
- KE
- L, l
- Lagrangian function
- Perrin
- accelerator
- diffuser
- dynamic braking
- elastic collision
- energy
- equipartition of energy
- flywheel
- hydraulic motor
- hydraulic ram
- hydrokinetic
- inelastic collision
- internal energy
- isokinetic exercise
- kinetic art
- kinetic energy
- kinetic potential
- kinetic theory
- kinetic theory of gases
- kinetic theory of heat
- kinetic theory of matter
- kineticism
- kinetics
- kinin
- monochromatic
- physiological phonetics
- potential energy
- range
- slow neutron
- temperature
- turbine
- water motor