kinetic energy

/kəˌnɛdɪk ˌɛnərdʒi/

/kɪˈnɛtɪk ˈɛnədʒi/

Other forms: kinetic energies

Kinetic energy is the kind of energy an object has because it's in motion. Speeding cars and hyper children have a lot of kinetic energy.

According to physics, kinetic energy is one of many types of energy that exist. This is energy generated because something is moving — the faster it's going, the more kinetic energy it has. A person sitting has no kinetic energy, but a person running like a maniac has tremendous kinetic energy: if they run into you, you'll feel the brunt of it. Footballs, baseballs, rocks, bullets, airplanes, and anything else moving quickly through the air all have kinetic energy.

Definitions of kinetic energy

1. noun

   the mechanical energy that a body has by virtue of its motion
   synonyms: K.E.

   type of:

   mechanical energy

   energy in a mechanical form