atomic age

American  

noun

1. the period in history initiated by the first use of the atomic bomb and characterized by atomic energy as a military, political, and industrial factor.

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atomic age British  

noun

1. the current historical period, initiated by the development of the first atomic bomb towards the end of World War II and now marked by a balance of power between nations possessing the hydrogen bomb and the use of nuclear power as a source of energy

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Etymology

Origin of atomic age

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atomic age

Of course, in the atomic age, wars between imperial great powers, as in World War I and World War II, are no longer truly conceivable.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

The atomic age made it potentially life-ending for humanity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026

For a secular atomic age, writers who met such extraterrestrials placed them in the same role as God: bearing an unimpeachable command that transcended politics and nation and had to be obeyed.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2023

Looking forward to how this show navigates the atomic age and the dark side of the moon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2023

So the first real hero of the atomic age, if not the first personage on the scene, was Ernest Rutherford.

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