Kinetic

How to spell kinetic

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce kinetic

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does kinetic mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to or resulting from motion.

Kinetic in a sentence

• The physics exam asked us to calculate the kinetic energy of a moving car.

• The gallery featured a kinetic sculpture that turned slowly in the breeze.

Where does kinetic come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word comes from the Greek kinetikos, meaning 'of motion' or 'putting into motion', which was built on the verb kinein, 'to move' or 'to set going'. Scientists adopted it in the nineteenth century as physics matured, most famously in the phrase 'kinetic energy', the energy a body has because of its movement, as opposed to stored or potential energy. The same Greek root for movement survives in a small family of English words, including 'cinema' (literally pictures that move) and 'telekinesis' (moving objects at a distance). The spelling preserves that Greek origin: the hard opening sound is written with a k rather than a c, and the trap for many writers is exactly that, since the related word 'cinema' begins with c. Remembering the link to kinein, the verb of motion, keeps the k and the single t firmly in place.

How the word is built

• kinet- (from Greek kinein: to move)
• -ic (adjective suffix)