mechanics

M3E1C3H4A1N1I1C3S1
US/məˈkænɪks/

noun

The branch of physics that deals with the action of forces on material objects with mass.

“the mechanics of a board game”

Similar
mechanism
OriginLatin mēchanicus ← Ancient Greek μηχανικός (mēkhanikós) ← Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-der.? →
CommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

mechanics1

nounmechanics (uncountable)
  1. uncountablenatural sciencesThe branch of physics that deals with the action of forces on material objects with mass.
  2. uncountableThe design and construction of machines.
  3. uncountablecommunicationsSpelling and punctuation.
  4. uncountableOperation in general; workings.

    the mechanics of a board game

    1 more example

    It was anticipated that children who encountered difficulty with the mechanics of word processing could turn to the coach for help rather than interrupt Margaret's work with a reading group.

    1991, Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Cynthia L. Paris, Jessica L. Kahn, Learning to Write Differently, page 99

mechanics2

noun
  1. pluralplural of mechanic

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe technical aspects of doing something

Similar
mechanism
Broader
performanceexecutioncarrying out
Also see
mechanism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*megʰ-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekμηχανή (mēkhanḗ)
  3. Ancient Greekμηχανικός (mēkhanikós)
  4. Latinmēchanicus
  5. Englishmechanics

From Latin mēchanicus, from Ancient Greek μηχανικός (mēkhanikós), from μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “machine, tool”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μηχανική
  • μηχανική (mēkhanikḗ)a branch of physics
Arabic مِيكَانِيكَا, مِيكَانِيكِيَّة
  • مِيكَانِيكَا (mikānikā)a branch of physics
  • مِيكَانِيكِيَّة (mīkānīkiyya)a branch of physics
Bengali বলবিজ্ঞান
  • বলবিজ্ঞান (bolbiggên)a branch of physics
Bulgarian меха́ника, машинострое́не
  • меха́ника (mehánika)a branch of physics
  • машинострое́не (mašinostroéne)the design and construction of machines
Catalan mecànica
  • mecànicaa branch of physics
Chinese Cantonese 力學 /力学
  • 力學 /力学 (lik⁶ hok⁶)a branch of physics
Chinese Mandarin 力學 /力学
  • 力學 /力学 (lìxué)a branch of physics
Czech mechanika
  • mechanikaa branch of physics
Danish mekanik
  • mekanika branch of physics
Dutch mechanica
  • mechanicaa branch of physics
Esperanto mekaniko
  • mekanikoa branch of physics
Estonian mehaanika
  • mehaanikaa branch of physics
Finnish mekaniikka
  • mekaniikkaa branch of physics
French mécanique
  • mécaniquea branch of physics
German Mechanik
  • Mechanika branch of physics
Greek μηχανική
  • μηχανική (michanikí)a branch of physics
Hebrew מֶכָנִיקָה
  • מֶכָנִיקָה (mekhánika)a branch of physics
Hindi यांत्रिकी
  • यांत्रिकी (yāntrikī)a branch of physics
Icelandic aflfræði, kraftfræði
  • aflfræðia branch of physics
  • kraftfræðia branch of physics
  • vélfræðithe design and construction of machines
Indonesian mekanika, mekanika
  • mekanikaa branch of physics
  • mekanikathe design and construction of machines
Irish meicnic
  • meicnica branch of physics
Italian meccanica
  • meccanicaa branch of physics
Japanese 力学
  • 力学 (rikigaku)a branch of physics
Korean 역학, 력학
  • 역학 (yeokhak)a branch of physics
  • 력학 (ryeokhak)a branch of physics
Latin mēchanicus
  • mēchanicusa branch of physics
Latvian mehānika
  • mehānikaa branch of physics
Lithuanian mechanika
  • mechanikaa branch of physics
Malay kaji daya, mekanik
  • kaji dayaa branch of physics
  • mekanika branch of physics
Norwegian mekanikk
  • mekanikka branch of physics
Norwegian Bokmål mekanikk
  • mekanikka branch of physics
Persian مکانیک, علم الحیل
  • مکانیک (mekânik)a branch of physics
  • علم الحیل (elm-ol-heyal)a branch of physics
Polish mechanika, inżynieria mechaniczna
  • mechanikaa branch of physics
  • inżynieria mechanicznathe design and construction of machines
Portuguese mecânica
  • mecânicaa branch of physics
Romanian mecanică
  • mecanicăa branch of physics
Russian меха́ника, машинострое́ние
  • меха́ника (mexánika)a branch of physics
  • машинострое́ние (mašinostrojénije)the design and construction of machines
Slovak mechanika
  • mechanikaa branch of physics
Spanish mecánica
  • mecánicaa branch of physics
Swedish mekanik
  • mekanika branch of physics
Tagalog sigwasan, dalubsigwasan
  • sigwasana branch of physics
  • dalubsigwasana branch of physics
Thai กลศาสตร์
  • กลศาสตร์ (gon-lá-sàat)a branch of physics
Turkish mekanik
  • mekanika branch of physics
Ukrainian меха́ніка
  • меха́ніка (mexánika)a branch of physics
Urdu میکانیات
  • میکانیات (mekāniyāt)a branch of physics
Vietnamese cơ học
  • cơ họca branch of physics
Yiddish מעכאַניק
  • מעכאַניק (mekhanik)a branch of physics

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

mischance
Cite this entry
APA

mechanics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mechanics

MLA

“mechanics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mechanics. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mechanics,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mechanics.

Source: mechanics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.