subatomic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a process that occurs within an atom.
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noting or pertaining to a particle or particles contained in an atom, as electrons, protons, or neutrons.
adjective
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of, relating to, or being a particle making up an atom or a process occurring within atoms
the electron is a subatomic particle
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having dimensions smaller than atomic dimensions
Etymology
Origin of subatomic
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.
A quantum computer uses qubits—shorthand for quantum bits—to harness the behavior of subatomic particles, which can exist in multiple states at once.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Powerful systems like the System Two operate based on the principles of quantum mechanics, the science behind atoms, molecules, and subatomic particles.
From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025
That picture turned out to be wrong, since atoms are built from subatomic particles rather than twists in space.
From Science Daily • Dec. 7, 2025
Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, that leverage the rules of subatomic physics to process information in multiple states simultaneously.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 25, 2025
It provided convincing evidence that subatomic particles did indeed exist.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
