Meanings
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe study of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements.First known use 1952
1 more example
Section I consists of a brief discussion of the general field of kinesics which, it is hoped, will be suggestive to others working in this area whether their central focus be linguistic, psychiatric, or general cultural. The field of kinesics is divided methodologically in a manner approximating the prevalent usage in linguistics.
1952, Ray L. Birdwhistell, “Preface”, in Introduction to Kinesics: An Annotation System for Analysis of Body Motion and Gesture, Louisville, Ky.: University of Kentucky, →OCLC, page 2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSuch non-verbal communication.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱey-“to be lying down; to settle”
- Ancient Greekκῑ́νησῐς“motion”
- Englishkinesics
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κῑ́νησῐς (kī́nēsĭs, “motion”, noun) + English -ics (suffix forming nouns denoting fields of knowledge or practice), coined by the American anthropologist Ray L. Birdwhistell (1918–1994) in his work Introduction to Kinesics (1952) (see the quotation). Κῑ́νησῐς (Kī́nēsĭs) is derived from κῑνέω (kīnéō, “to set in motion, move”) (from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- (“to be lying down; to settle”)) + -σῐς (-sĭs, suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result). Compare kinesia and kinesic.
More words from Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish kinesiikka, elekieli
- kinesiikkastudy of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements
- elekielisuch non-verbal communication
- kinesiikkasuch non-verbal communication
Polish kinezyka, kinezyka
- kinezykastudy of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements
- kinezykasuch non-verbal communication
Spanish kinesia, kinésica
- kinesiastudy of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements
- kinésicastudy of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements
- cinésicastudy of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements
- kinesiasuch non-verbal communication
- kinésicasuch non-verbal communication
- cinésicasuch non-verbal communication
Welsh cineseg, cineseg
- cinesegstudy of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements
- cinesegsuch non-verbal communication
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
kinesics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kinesics
“kinesics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kinesics. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kinesics,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kinesics.
Source: kinesics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.