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

---

atomic Scientific  

/ ə-tŏm′ĭk /

1. Relating to an atom or to atoms.

2. Employing nuclear energy.

---

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

Or Harry Truman, who demonstrated character when he took responsibility for the use of atomic weapons, refusing to deflect blame amid global controversy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

“I don’t think the gap will be the same as the Manhattan Project,” he said, referring to the scramble to build the first atomic bomb.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

The other is the antiferromagnet, whose magnetic properties are hidden at the atomic level but have attracted growing interest because of their potential use in advanced technologies.

From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026

Well, when it was founded in 1945 the technology that could end civilization, at least globally, was nuclear atomic weapons, and that’s what the scientists who founded the Bulletin were concerned about.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

Had the neutron been isolated in the 1920s, they note, it is "very likely the atomic bomb would have been developed first in Europe, undoubtedly by the Germans."

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• microscopic