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¹dynamic

adjective dy·nam·ic \dī-ˈna-mik\

: always active or changing

: having or showing a lot of energy

: of or relating to energy, motion, or physical force

Full Definition of DYNAMIC

also dy·nam·i·cal \-mi-kəl\

a : of or relating to physical force or energy

b : of or relating to dynamics (see dynamics)

a : marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change <a dynamic city>

b : energetic, forceful <a dynamic personality>

of random-access memory : requiring periodic refreshment of charge in order to retain data

— dy·nam·i·cal·ly \-mi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See dynamic defined for English-language learners

See dynamic defined for kids

Examples of DYNAMIC

… tournament blackjack is more dynamic, and more complex, than simply playing against the house. —Michael Kaplan, Cigar Aficionado, December 2002
Indeed, one of the most dynamic influences on family life and society in the last century was the extension of concepts to individual worth and human rights. —Perdita Huston, Ms., December 2001/January 2002
The new dynamic duo have little in common but a bright orange ball. —Stephen Rodrick, ESPN, 3 Apr. 2000
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Origin of DYNAMIC

French dynamique, from Greek dynamikos powerful, from dynamis power, from dynasthai to be able

First Known Use: 1827

Related to DYNAMIC

Synonyms: vigorous, energetic, flush, gingery, lusty, peppy, red-blooded, robust, vital

Antonyms: dull, lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid

Other Physics Terms

amplitude, centrifugal, centripetal, convection, gradient, hysteresis, kinetic, lase, quantum

Rhymes with DYNAMIC

Adamic, agamic, balsamic, ceramic

²dynamic

noun dy·nam·ic \dī-ˈna-mik\

: the way that two or more people behave with each other because of a particular situation

: something that causes change or growth in something else

dynamics : the science that studies motion and the forces that cause or stop motion

Full Definition of DYNAMIC

: a dynamic force (see ¹dynamic)

: dynamics 2; also : an underlying cause of change or growth

See dynamic defined for English-language learners

Examples of DYNAMIC

… the high-tech world is, at heart, a cruel, unforgiving place ruled by the merciless dynamics of the marketplace. —Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 27 June 2002
… my memory of specific events is sketchy, but the general emotional flavor is engraved on my mind as a classic example of my family's bent dynamic. —Florence King, National Review, 15 Oct. 2001
… the Cambrian Explosion, created the evolutionary dynamic that produced most of the species that subsequently populated the earth, from insects and fish to dinosaurs and humans. —J. Madeleine Nash, Time, 20 Aug. 2001
Raisons d'état, not the dynamics of capitalism, created the American thrust for world influence. —Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Cycles of American History, 1986
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Origin of DYNAMIC

(see ¹dynamic)

First Known Use: 1868

Rhymes with DYNAMIC

ceramic

DYNAMIC Defined for Kids

dynamic

adjective dy·nam·ic \dī-ˈna-mik\

Definition of DYNAMIC for Kids

: always active, energetic, or changing <a dynamic city>

Medical Dictionary

dynamic

adjective dy·nam·ic \dī-ˈnam-ik\

Medical Definition of DYNAMIC

also dy·nam·i·cal \-i-kəl\ a : of or relating to physical force or energy b : of or relating to dynamics

: functional 1b <a dynamic disease>

a : marked by continuous usually productive activity or change <a dynamic population> b : marked by energy or forcefulness <a dynamic personality>

—dy·nam·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb