velocity
noun
ve·loc·i·ty
və-ˈlä-sə-tē 
-ˈlä-stē
plural velocities
1
a
: quickness of motion : speed
the velocity of sound
b
: rapidity of movement
[my horse's] strong suit is grace & personal comeliness, rather than velocity—
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
c
: speed imparted to something
the power pitcher relies on velocity—Tony Scherman
Tony Scherman2
: the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time : the derivative of position with respect to time
3
a
: rate of occurrence or action : rapidity
the velocity of historical change—R. J. Lifton
R. J. Lifton
b
: rate of turnover
the velocity of money
Examples of velocity in a Sentence
particles moving at high velocities
measuring the velocity of sound
the velocity of a bullet
Recent Examples on the Web
The 15 mph winds to straightaway center, with gusts up to 34 mph, might have helped, but still, Story crushed his first three-run homer of the game 427 feet to center with an exit velocity of 105 mph.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
With exit velocities routinely clocking in at over 100 mph, the 26-year-old is hitting .292 with a 1.003 OPS, five home runs and nine RBI.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
The line drive had a 109.1 mph exit velocity off the bat.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Here, a patchy pattern of material with that same high seismic velocity sagged to a depth of nearly 600 kilometers, almost to the lower mantle.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for velocity
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Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
With exit velocities routinely clocking in at over 100 mph, the 26-year-old is hitting .292 with a 1.003 OPS, five home runs and nine RBI.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
The line drive had a 109.1 mph exit velocity off the bat.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Here, a patchy pattern of material with that same high seismic velocity sagged to a depth of nearly 600 kilometers, almost to the lower mantle.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for velocity
Cite this Entry
“Velocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/velocity. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
velocity
noun
ve·loc·i·ty
və-ˈläs-ət-ē
-ˈläs-tē
plural velocities
1
: quickness of motion : speed
the velocity of sound
2
: the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time
3
: rate of occurrence or action
the velocity of political change
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