classical physics

American  

[klas-ik-uhl fiz-iks] / ˈklæs ɪk əl ˈfɪz ɪks /

noun

1. physics as understood before the advent of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, or those aspects of contemporary physics that do not involve or rely on these theories.

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classical physics Scientific  

1. Physics that does not make use of quantum mechanics or the theory of relativity. Newtonian mechanics, thermodynamics, and Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism are all examples of classical physics. Many theories in classical physics break down when applied to extremely small objects such as atoms or to objects moving near the speed of light.

2. ◆ Classical mechanics refers to the classical physics of bodies and forces, especially Newton's laws of motion and the principles of mechanics based on them.

3. Compare quantum mechanics

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Other Word Forms

• classical physicist
  noun
• classical-physics
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

classical physics

That result is especially important because such correlations cannot be explained by classical physics and instead provide evidence that genuine quantum entanglement was produced.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

"It's a striking example of how quantum principles can rewrite the rules of classical physics," Scully said.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

One of the defining breakthroughs that set quantum physics apart from classical physics was the realization that matter behaves very differently at extremely small scales.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 28, 2026

In classical physics, the idea of memory is straightforward.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 14, 2026

So at first there was not one Scientific Revolution but two, one exemplified by Newton’s classical physics, the other by Rutherford’s nuclear physics.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton