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.

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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

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atomic Scientific  

/ ə-tŏm′ĭk /

1. Relating to an atom or to atoms.

2. Employing nuclear energy.

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of atomic

First recorded in 1670–80; atom + -ic

Explanation

Something that has to do with atoms is atomic. Atomic structure, for example, means the way an atom is organized and what it's made of. You'll often find the word atomic specifically describing power or weapons — in this case, atomic means the process of either splitting an atom, known as fission, or joining two atoms, fusion, to create energy. Also, every chemical element has its own atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus of one of the element's atoms. Atomic comes from the Latin atomus, "indivisible particle," from the Greek atomos, "uncut" or "indivisible."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atomic

Last year, the government allowed private firms to build and operate atomic power projects, underlining a push for alternative energy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

Consider his point of view: America is the indefatigable Colossus, an object of awe that put a man on the moon in a decade and produced an atomic bomb in half that time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

As transistor components approach atomic dimensions, however, the interfaces separating different materials become increasingly important.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

The work, published in Nature Electronics, shows that carefully controlling the atomic boundary between a semiconductor and its insulating layer can allow the dielectric to be made extremely thin while maintaining strong electrical performance.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

The mood had gotten worse in 1949, when the Soviet Union tested an atomic bomb.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• microscopic