nuclear power

American  

[noo-klee-er pou-er, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər ˈpaʊ ər, ˈnyu- /

noun

1. power derived from nuclear energy.

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nuclear power British  

noun

1. Also called: atomic power.  power, esp electrical or motive, produced by a nuclear reactor

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nuclear power Cultural  

1. The electrical power generated by a nuclear reactor.

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Pronunciation

See nuclear ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of nuclear power

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Now, about 60% of U.S. adults say they favor adding more nuclear power plants, according to a Pew Research Center survey last year, up from 43% in 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

By then, nuclear power was long out of favor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

She rejected Washington's attempts to deny or challenge the North's status as a nuclear power, saying it "carries no legal force".

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

He added that there’s going to be a massive supply problem as early as 2027 due to the AI build-out and other countries coming back into nuclear power.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

Comparable economies of expression can be obtained by comparing the high safety index associated with nuclear power with the relatively low safety index for burning coal.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• atomic energy