radioactive
Americanadjective
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Physics, Chemistry. of, relating to, exhibiting, or caused by radioactivity.
A pressing issue in post-Soviet Russia is safe long-term storage of radioactive waste, from both military and civilian applications.
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relating to or being a person, topic, or matter that is likely to provoke intense negative reactions or disagreement.
The option of raising taxes to fund these expenditures is a politically radioactive approach that a majority of state policymakers have avoided.
adjective
Usage
What does radioactive mean? Radioactive describes something that exhibits or is caused by radioactivity. If something is radioactive, it emits radiation, which usually takes the form of electromagnetic waves or fast-moving elementary particles, such as protons or neutrons. While low doses of radiation are usually harmless, being exposed to large amounts of radiation will most likely kill you. For this reason, highly radioactive materials are often considered very dangerous and will only be handled by experts. Example: The radioactive waste produced by nuclear power plants can damage the environment.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of radioactive
Explanation
When an object gives off a certain kind of energy, like the sun or an x-ray machine, it can be described as radioactive. The adjective radioactive is a scientific term for a particular type of energy-emitting substance or thing. Radioactive energy, or radiation, is made up of active particles or electromagnetic waves. Nuclear waste is radioactive, but so are more ordinary things, like cell phones and the food we eat. The French word for it is radio-actif, which was invented by Pierre and Marie Curie, who combined radiationem, Latin for "a shining" with actif, French for "active."
Vocabulary lists containing radioactive
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The director-general of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, has warned repeatedly about the risk of a radioactive incident at such plants.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
“The dangers are so much different. Instead of an explosion, it just turns off. There’s no radioactive waste. So this light touch is exactly what the Congress overwhelmingly … wanted the NRC to do.”
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Instead, the deal allowed Iran’s scientists and technicians to continue gaining experience with nuclear technology and the handling of materials that aren’t only radioactive but also highly toxic and corrosive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
Under the latest agreement, the government said the company must now halt all activities that produce radioactive waste within five years of its renewed operating licence.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
The steel reactor vessel at the heart of each reactor building is surrounded by a thick concrete containment vessel, designed to hold radioactive materials that might escape from the reactor in an emergency.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
