What does supinating mean?
Supinating means rotating the forearm so that the palm faces upward or toward the front of the body. It is the movement performed when the hand turns from a palm-down to a palm-up position, or when the elbow is extended with the palm facing forward. The term is especially common in anatomy, physical therapy, sports science, and medical examination. Its opposite is pronation, which rotates the forearm in the other direction. More broadly, supinate can describe turning the body or a body part so that its upper or anterior surface faces upward. Although ordinary speakers may simply say to turn something over, the technical term highlights the precise rotary action involved. Supination is also the motion produced by the supinator muscles and the rotation of the radius in the forearm.
verbTo rotate the forearm so that the palm faces upward or anteriorly. It can also mean to turn something or the body more generally onto its back.
- To rotate the forearm so that the palm faces upward or anteriorly.
- To turn the body or a body part so that it lies or faces upward.
"He supinated his forearm to reveal a small scar on his wrist."
"The therapist asked him to supinate his forearm and resist the movement."
"The lizard supinated its body, exposing its pale underside."
Supination and pronation make the forearm one of the body's cleverest rotary hinges: together, they let the palm turn from ceiling to floor.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does supinating come from?
Supinating derives from Latin supinare, meaning to turn onto the back or place supine, from supinus, meaning bent backward or lying on the back. English borrowed the associated verb supinate in the seventeenth century for the corresponding movement of the forearm. The Latin root also gave English supine and, through the anatomical noun supination, the family of terms describing this upward rotation.
Related word forms
How supinating is actually used
In anatomy and physical therapy, the term usually refers specifically to rotation of the forearm. The broader sense of turning upward is comparatively uncommon and is often formal or technical.
Easily confused with supinating
Supination turns the palm upward or anteriorly, whereas pronation turns it downward or posteriorly.