electromagnetic
Americanadjective
adjective
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of, containing, or operated by an electromagnet
an electromagnetic pump
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of, relating to, or consisting of electromagnetism
electromagnetic moment
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of or relating to electromagnetic radiation
the electromagnetic spectrum
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of electromagnetic
Explanation
The adjective electromagnetic describes a powerful natural force that's caused by an electrical charge. Objects that have an electromagnetic charge act like ordinary magnets, attracting and repelling other objects — but the source of their magnetism is an electric current flowing inside them. Electromagnetic, a combination of electric and magnetic, dates from the 1820s, soon after the force itself was discovered by a Danish scientist who noticed a magnetic compass needle moving when it was close to a live electric wire.
Vocabulary lists containing electromagnetic
Waves and Wave Properties - Introductory
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Waves and Wave Properties - Middle School
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Electricity and Magnetism - Introductory
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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.
In that simple contest, the electromagnetic force produced by the magnet easily overcomes gravity.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Non-kinetic means could include lasers to blind satellites, or even electromagnetic or cyber jamming of their data links.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
The region between Earth's surface and the ionosphere can naturally resonate with electromagnetic waves, much like a large cavity.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
The concept of electromagnetic radiation originated with him and is credited as paving the way for Einstein's special theory of relativity.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The electromagnetic attraction is pictured as being caused by the exchange of large numbers of virtual massless particles of spin 1, called photons.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
