velocity
/vəˈlɒsɪti/
noun
Origin
Latin
velocitas — swiftness, speed
Overview
Meaning Now
- The rate of change of position of an object in a given direction.
- The speed of an object in a specific direction.
- Rapidity of motion or operation; swiftness.
Literal older meaning
speediness or quickness
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
velocité
Earliest period
late 16th century
Journey
The term entered the English language during the Renaissance as scholars and natural philosophers began to refine the vocabulary of mechanics. While 'speed' indicates scalar magnitude, 'velocity' gained a precise technical sense in physics, particularly following the work of Galileo and Newton, to include directional vector components.
Evolution
- Latin
velox
“swift, rapid”
- Latin
velocitas
“swiftness”
Addition of the suffix -tas to express quality.
- Middle French
velocité
“swiftness”
- English
velocity
“swiftness; rate of motion”
Connections
Word parts
veloc-
root
swift
-ity
suffix
state or condition of
Related across languages
French
vélocité
swiftness
Italian
velocità
speed
Spanish
velocidad
speed
Explore next
Related to velocity
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.