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

• atomically
  adverb
• nonatomic
  adjective
• nonatomical
  adjective
• 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

Infleqtion is developing technologies like quantum sensors and atomic clocks that lend themselves to precision timing and navigation.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

If the atomic nuclei in a lump of iron were scaled up to human size, for instance, how far apart would they be from each other?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Macroscopicity allows scientists to evaluate experiments involving systems such as nano-oscillators, atomic interferometers, and nanoacoustic resonators by measuring how effectively they rule out even tiny deviations from standard quantum theory.

From Science Daily • May 11, 2026

The Wende Museum in Culver City opened its doors in 2017 inside a former 1949 atomic bomb shelter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

“Prepare now against the threat of atomic warfare,” a government spokesman tells viewers.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• microscopic