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
For founders, this shift will favor adaptation, velocity, embracing change and harnessing AI agents to replicate the work of entire departments.
—Alexander Fred-Ojala, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Ober also struggled with diminished velocity in spring training, attributing it to his mechanics being out of whack, an especially big challenge for the 6-foot-9 right-hander.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 7 June 2025
His cutter velocity had dipped two to three ticks before that.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Patrik’s eccentric consciousness and moving at furious velocity.
—Diana Arterian
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for velocity
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alexander Fred-Ojala, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Ober also struggled with diminished velocity in spring training, attributing it to his mechanics being out of whack, an especially big challenge for the 6-foot-9 right-hander.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 7 June 2025
His cutter velocity had dipped two to three ticks before that.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Patrik’s eccentric consciousness and moving at furious velocity.
—Diana Arterian
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 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 17 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share