kinesthesia

noun

UK /ˌkɪn.əsˈθiː.zi.ə/

US /ˌkɪn.əsˈθiː.ʒə/

Kinesthesia is the way your body knows where its parts are and how they are moving, even when your eyes are closed.

Thanks to kinesthesia, she could touch her nose with her eyes shut.

SYNONYMS

muscle sense movement sense proprioception body awareness sense of movement

RELATED WORDS

balance coordination motion reflex posture

OTHER MEANINGS

2. The medical ability to feel movement and position of joints and muscles, tested by doctors.

The doctor checked his kinesthesia after the knee injury.

3. In psychology, the combined sensation of movement, weight, and position from muscles and joints.

Researchers studied kinesthesia to understand how dancers keep their balance.

4. The artistic sense of motion and body movement, as in dance or animation.

The animator's kinesthesia made the cartoon characters move naturally.