kinesthesia

noun

kin·​es·​the·​sia ˌki-nəs-ˈthē-zh(ē-)ə  ˌkī- 

variants or kinesthesis

ˌki-nəs-ˈthē-səs 

ˌkī-

or chiefly British kinaesthesia or kinaesthesis

plural kinesthesias or kinestheses ˌki-nəs-ˈthē-ˌsēz 

ˌkī-

: a sense mediated by receptors located in muscles, tendons, and joints and stimulated by bodily movements and tensions

also : sensory experience derived from this sense

kinesthetic

ˌki-nəs-ˈthe-tik 

ˌkī-

adjective

or chiefly British kinaesthetic

kinesthetically

ˌki-nəs-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌkī-

adverb

or chiefly British kinaesthetically

Examples of kinesthesia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Neurophysiologists call awareness of the movement and position of one's body parts kinesthesia. —Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2018

To feel truly lifelike, prosthetics will require not just kinesthesia, but a sense of touch. —Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2018

The sensation is entirely distinct from touch, yet kinesthesia is equally if not more important for complex motor tasks. —Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2018

This sense of body position, known as kinesthesia, has proved tricky to build into prosthetic arms. —Frankie Schembri, Science | AAAS, 14 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek kinein + aisthēsis perception — more at anesthesia — see -kinesis

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

kinesthesia

noun

kin·​es·​the·​sia ˌkin-əs-ˈthē-zh(ē-)ə, ˌkī-nəs- 

variants or kinesthesis

-ˈthē-səs 

or chiefly British kinaesthesia or kinaesthesis

plural kinesthesias or kinestheses -ˌsēz 

: a sense mediated by end organs located in muscles, tendons, and joints and stimulated by bodily movements and tensions

also : sensory experience derived from this sense see muscle sense

kinesthetic adjective

or chiefly British kinaesthetic

-ˈthet-ik 

kinesthetically adverb

or chiefly British kinaesthetically

-i-k(ə-)lē