Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

atomic

American  
[uh-tom-ik] / əˈtɒm ɪk /
Also atomical

adjective

  1. of, pertaining to, resulting from, or using atoms, atomic energy, or atomic bombs.

    an atomic explosion.

  2. propelled or driven by atomic energy.

    an atomic submarine.

  3. Chemistry. existing as free, uncombined atoms.

  4. extremely minute.


atomic British  
/ əˈtɒmɪk /

adjective

  1. of, using, or characterized by atomic bombs or atomic energy

    atomic warfare

  2. of, related to, or comprising atoms

    atomic hydrogen

  3. extremely small; minute

  4. logic (of a sentence, formula, etc) having no internal structure at the appropriate level of analysis. In predicate calculus, Fa is an atomic sentence and Fx an atomic predicate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

atomic Scientific  
/ ə-tŏmĭk /
  1. Relating to an atom or to atoms.

  2. Employing nuclear energy.


Other Word Forms

  • atomically adverb
  • nonatomic adjective
  • nonatomical adjective
  • nonatomically adverb

Etymology

Origin of atomic

First recorded in 1670–80; atom + -ic

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.

Rendered with atomic specks of red, blue and green that produce a darker purplish cast, its resonant effect is reinforced in the painted border Seurat added later, as he did to many of his seascapes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Many have expressed fears of an Orwellian-style forever war, or worse, the use of the atomic weapon invented “to end all wars” in a twisted attempt to do so, poisoning the region as a byproduct.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

They paired these measurements with detailed ab initio simulations that tracked thousands of possible atomic pathways and calculated how likely decay was along each one.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

The United States ended World War II by dropping two atomic bombs on Japan, the only use of nuclear weapons in history.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

The T-shirt inside had the word “Freddie” above the box from the periodic table that contains the atomic symbol Hg.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone