Kinetic comes from the Greek word kinētikos, meaning "of motion," which in turn traces to the verb kinein, meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, kinetic is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from the 19th century. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word cinema is also related to kinein. The verb kinein is the source of the Greek kinēma, meaning "movement," to which the French referred in the coining of their cinématographe. Cinématographe is the word that gave rise to the English word cinematograph, of which cinema is simply a shortened form.
the novel's plot is kinetic and fast-paced, and its effect on the reader is much like that of a surfeit of caffeine the loft district is the locus of the city's kinetic arts scene
Recent Examples on the WebThe walls of a neighboring gallery were hung with various oil paintings: kinetic, angry abstractions in which a few figurative elements—a severed artery?—could be discerned. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 In cyberspace proxy wars, at what point could a cyberattack warrant a kinetic response? Matt Georgy, Forbes, 19 July 2022 An artist was tending to a kinetic sculpture set on the floor, a complex network of silicone skin pumping and recycling what looked like blood from two gallon-size jars.New York Times, 20 July 2022 Symptoms vary but include obvious pain, tendinitis, and numbness at the foot and ankle as well as more sneaky complaints up the kinetic chain like knee and hip pain. Esther Smith, Outside Online, 22 Sep. 2021 This kinetic sculpture inspired by an epic 12th century Persian poem is on view Aug. 14 through June 19.Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 In 1950, Rickey devoted himself full time to making kinetic sculpture. Lance Esplund, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 Train to Busan is a full-throttle horror film, a kinetic action picture, and one of the only movies about the undead that may let you off with a lump in your throat. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 25 June 2022 Now, just like the batteries themselves, the scientists and researchers developing ASSBs need to turn that potential energy into something kinetic—a real product with enough power to shake the entire automotive industry. Eric Tegler, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Greek kinētikos, from kinētos, from kinein — see -kinesis