kinetic

¹

[ ki-net-ik, kahy- ]

adjective

1. pertaining to motion.
2. caused by motion.
3. characterized by movement:

   Running and dancing are kinetic activities.

-kinetic

²

1. a combining form found on adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in -kinesia or -kinesis:

   bradykinetic.

kinetic

/ kaɪ-; kɪˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

1. relating to, characterized by, or caused by motion

Derived Forms

• kiˈnetically, adverb

Other Words From

• ki·neti·cal·ly adverb
• nonki·netic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kinetic¹

1850–55; < Greek kīnētikós moving, equivalent to kīnē- (verbid stem of kīneîn to move) + -tikos -tic

Origin of kinetic²

< Greek kīnēt ( ós ) ( kineto- ) + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of kinetic¹

C19: from Greek kinētikos, from kinein to move

Example Sentences

Jenkins noted that Morrison had shot huge action set pieces for “Black Panther” as well as quieter exchanges for “Mudbound,” which made him confident she could handle the intense fight scenes and heated dialogue sequences: “When the punches are flying, it needed to feel as kinetic as a blockbuster feature film. And when there are two characters having a very tense conversation, that needs to be handled with the same care.”

From Los Angeles Times

Lloyd’s “Sunset Blvd.,” by contrast, blasts away with impunity to create a vastly different experience — a kinetic multimedia concert, in which Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music and Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s lyrics are freed from the procedural nature of Black and Hampton’s book.

From Los Angeles Times

There was a kinetic writing that went along with Norman’s personality.

From Salon

Mossad also sees it as its duty to “translate the intelligence it collects into what they call kinetic or aggressive or physical operations”, he says, including “explosives, sabotage, targeted killings”.

From BBC

UC Berkeley is requesting four new drones, a “kinetic breaching tool” to force open locked doors, another hazardous devices robot and 300 more sponge rounds.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• animated
• lively
• peppy

Words That Use -kinetic

What does -kinetic mean?

The combining form -kinetic is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to movement.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in pathology.

The form -kinetic comes from Greek kīnēt(ós), meaning “moving,” from the verb kīneîn, “to move.” The Latin cognate of kīneîn is ciēre (stem cit-), meaning “to move, set in motion,” which is the source of words such as cite and resuscitate. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.

What are variants of -kinetic?

While there are not any variants of -kinetic, it is related to the forms -kinesis and -kinesia, as in telekinesis and hyperkinesia. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles about these two forms.

Examples of -kinetic

An example of a scientific term that uses the form -kinetic is electrokinetic, “of or relating to the motion of charged particles and its effects.”

As you may have guessed, electro- is a form meaning “electric” or “electricity.” The form -kinetic means “or of relating to movement.” Electrokinetic literally translates to “of or relating to electrical movement.”

What are some words that use the combining form -kinetic?

• cytokinetic
• dyskinetic
• optokinetic
• psychokinetic
• telekinetic

What are some other forms that -kinetic may be commonly confused with?

• -centric
• -etic
• -genetic

Break it down!

The combining form cyto- means “cell.” With this in mind, what does cytokinetic literally mean?