molecular
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of or relating to molecules
molecular hydrogen
-
logic (of a sentence, formula, etc) capable of analysis into atomic formulae of the appropriate kind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of molecular
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How does molecular compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use the adjective molecular to describe something that has to do with or is made up of molecules. If you're studying molecular biology, you're focusing on the molecules that make up living things. When a scientist studies things on a molecular level, she's looking at them up close, examining their cells. The adjective molecular comes up most often in biology and chemistry, and it always describes the very smallest units that make up organisms or elements. Molecular comes from the noun molecule, which means "extremely minute particle," from the Latin molecula, "tiny mass."
Vocabulary lists containing molecular
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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 compound, known by researchers as "Compound 10," is the result of nearly two decades of work led by Ursula Quitterer, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at ETH Zurich.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
The group had previously shown systemic inflammation in non-obese GK rats with insulin resistance in a study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Senior author Associate Professor Zoe Richards from Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences said the technology could dramatically improve how scientists study and protect deep-sea ecosystems.
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
Molecular solar thermal systems and fossil fuels are actually both forms of chemical energy storage.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Molecular biology did not drive out older, fixed views about the intimate details of cell function.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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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.