exothermic

or ex·o·ther·mal

[ ek-soh-thur-mik ]

adjectiveChemistry.

noting or pertaining to a chemical change that is accompanied by a liberation of heat (opposed to endothermic).

Compare Meanings

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

Origin of exothermic

First recorded in 1880–85; exo- + thermic

Other words from exothermic

ex·o·ther·mi·cal·ly, ex·o·ther·mal·ly, adverb
ex·o·ther·mic·i·ty [ek-soh-ther-mis-i-tee], /ˌɛk soʊ θərˈmɪs ɪ ti/, noun

Words Nearby exothermic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use exothermic in a sentence

This process produces an exothermic reaction, raising the pack’s temperature to roughly 130 degrees Fahrenheit in under 10 seconds.
Best hand warmers: Block the chill during your favorite winter activities | PopSci Commerce Team | February 10, 2021 | Popular-Science
For it was a new kind which contained an exothermic ingredient.
The Planet Strappers | Raymond Zinke Gallun
Compounds formed with the evolution of heat are termed exothermic, while those formed with an absorption are termed endothermic.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 | Various
When carbon unites chemically with oxygen, it is an exothermic reaction that gives off heat as correlated energy.
The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century. | Edward W. Byrn
All chemical compounds are either “endothermic” or “exothermic.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for exothermic

exothermic

exothermal

/ (ˌɛksəʊˈθɜːmɪk) /

adjective

(of a chemical reaction or compound) occurring or formed with the evolution of heat: Compare endothermic, exoergic

Derived forms of exothermic

exothermically or exothermally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for exothermic

exothermic

[ ĕk′sō-thûr′mĭk ]

Relating to a chemical reaction that releases heat. Compare endothermic.

Browse