excited state

American  

noun

Physics.

1. any of the energy levels of a physical system, especially an atom, molecule, etc., that has higher energy than the lowest energy level.

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excited state Scientific  

/ ĭk-sī′tĭd /

1. A state of a physical system in which the system has more than the minimum possible potential energy. Excited states tend to be unstable and easily or spontaneously revert to lower energy states, giving off energy.

2. Compare ground state

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Etymology

Origin of excited state

First recorded in 1925–30

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Compare meaning

How does excited-state compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ground state vs. excited state

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

excited state

Starting from the ground state, the lowest energy configuration available to the system, the atoms could be driven into a highly excited state without losing their underlying organization.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

During the reaction, arsenic-73 absorbs a proton and becomes selenium-74 in an excited state.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 14, 2026

To capture the protons in this excited state and explore their 3D resonances, the team sent a high-energy electron beam into a chamber of cooled hydrogen gas.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2023

"This is the first time we have some measurement, some observation, which is sensitive to the 3D characteristics of such an excited state," Diehl said in an Aug. 21 release.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2023

And more as a consequence of the excited state in which this idea put Gregor than as a result of an actual decision, he swung himself with all his might out of the bed.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

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