First published 1897; not yet revised More entries for "dynamic"

dynamicadjective & noun

Meaning & use
Etymology
Pronunciation
Frequency
Compounds & derived words

Nearby entries

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the word dynamic mean?

There are 16 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word dynamic, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

dynamic has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the word dynamic?

About 30occurrences per million words in modern written English

1810	0.016
1820	0.033
1830	0.12
1840	0.35
1850	0.77
1860	0.73
1870	1.5
1880	1.7
1890	2.1
1900	3.0
1910	4.9
1920	6.8
1930	11
1940	16
1950	20
1960	24
1970	27
1980	31
1990	35
2000	37
2010	37

See frequency

How is the word dynamic pronounced?

British English

/dʌɪˈnamɪk/

digh-NAM-ik

/dᵻˈnamɪk/

duh-NAM-ik

U.S. English

/daɪˈnæmɪk/

digh-NAM-ik

See pronunciation

Where does the word dynamic come from?

Earliest known use

1810s

The earliest known use of the word dynamic is in the 1810s.

OED's earliest evidence for dynamic is from 1817, in the writing of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, critic, and philosopher.

dynamic is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French dynamique.

See etymology

Nearby entries

Dylanesque, adj.1964–
dylde, v.
dymaxion, adj.1929–
dyna-, comb. form
dynactinometer, n.1851–
dynagraph, n.1890–
dynam, n.1847
dyname, n.1866–
dynameter, n.1828–
dynametrical, adj.1828–
dynamic, adj. & n.1817–
dynamical, adj.1814–
dynamically, adv.1832–
dynamical system, n.1861–
dynamic braking, n.1930–
dynamic equator, n.1883–
dynamic HTML, n.1995–
dynamicism, n.1947–
dynamicist, n.1956–
dynamicity, n.1897–
dynamic metamorphism, n.1893–

Browse more nearby entries

Meaning & use

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Entry history for dynamic, adj. & n.

dynamic, adj. & n. was first published in 1897; not yet revised

dynamic, adj. & n. was last modified in September 2023

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into dynamic, adj. & n. in September 2023.

Earlier versions of dynamic, adj. & n. were published in:

OED First Edition (1897)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View dynamic, adj. & n. in Second Edition

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Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “”, . <>

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MLA9

“”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, , <>

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