kinetics

noun

ki·​net·​ics kə-ˈne-tiks 

 also  kī-

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

a

: a branch of science that deals with the effects of forces upon the motions of material bodies or with changes in a physical or chemical system

b

: the rate of change in such a system

2

: the mechanism by which a physical or chemical change is effected

Examples of kinetics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As studies like these continue to decipher the kinetics between agricultural expansion and disease ecology, the intricate consequences of man’s manipulation of his natural environment are further exposed. —Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2015

The kinetics of this process suggest that basidiospores are especially effective as nuclei for the formation of large water drops in clouds. —Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2015

The secret is to think of the problem in terms of kinetics, not technology. —Corey S. Powell, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2015

The team that analyzed these results suggests four possible explanations, including unexpected kinetics of individual particles in the plasma or a failure to account for details in the behavior of the bulk plasma. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2022

His pictures, most in black and white, came to be admired for their composition, insight and energy, which sometimes mimicked the kinetics of combat photography. —New York Times, 2 May 2022

Differences between fore- and rearfoot strike running patterns based on kinetics and kinematics. —Tom Michaud, Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2018

But just as with your eyeballs, there is still some uncertainty in establishing the exact kinetics of these uberdistant objects, Faherty says. —Tess Joosse, Scientific American, 1 July 2021

The scale and the kinetics of distribution required in the midst of a pandemic are a challenge, in and of itself. —The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for kinetics

• aesthetics
• ascetics
• asthmatics
• athletics
• cosmetics
• emetics
• esthetics
• genetics
• magnetics
• phonetics
• poetics
• prosthetics

Medical Definition

kinetics

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

ki·​net·​ics kə-ˈnet-iks, kī- 

1

a

: a branch of science that deals with the effects of forces upon the motions of material bodies or with changes in a physical or chemical system

b

: the rate of change in such a system

2

: the mechanism by which a physical or chemical change is effected