What does kinetically mean?
Kinetically is an adverb meaning in a way that involves movement or motion. It is especially common in physics and chemistry, where it describes processes considered in relation to the forces, energy, or rates of movement. For example, a reaction may be described as kinetically stable if its molecular arrangement is maintained because of the balance of forces acting on it. The word can also be used more broadly in engineering, design, and contemporary art, where a mechanism or artwork is described as kinetically shaped or kinetically controlled. Its Latin-derived root is related to kinetic, meaning “of or relating to motion,” and to kinetics, the study of how bodies move and how forces affect them.
adverbIn a way that relates to, or is characterized by, movement or the motion of objects. In scientific contexts, it refers to the forces and energy involved in the motion of matter.
- In a way characterized by movement or motion.
- With reference to the branch of physics concerned with the forces and motion of objects.
"The robot's arm is controlled kinetically, using precise movements to assemble the components."
"The molecule is kinetically stabilized by interactions with nearby particles."
"The installation uses kinetically charged forms to suggest the movement of air and water."
Words in motion are rarely still to a physicist: 'kinetically' connects movement with the forces and energy that make it possible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kinetically come from?
The word comes from the Greek adjective kinetikos, meaning “moving” or “active,” which was derived from kinesis, “movement.” It entered English through the related form kinetic, and the adverb kinetically was formed using the usual -ly suffix. The family also includes kinetics, the branch of physics concerned with motion and forces, and kinesis, an English word used especially in biology for movement or movement-generating structures.
Related word forms
How kinetically is actually used
Most common in scientific, technical, and artistic contexts. It is more formal than simply 'with motion' and usually describes something governed by, associated with, or understood in terms of movement.