electromagnetic
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of, containing, or operated by an electromagnet
an electromagnetic pump
-
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
Derived 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.
To test the theory, Fang and Si conducted laboratory experiments using a thin layer of water driven by electromagnetic forces.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
It expands the simulation in Syopsys’ chip design software to include electrical, thermal, electromagnetic, and mechanical effects, shortening the chip design pipeline for the increasingly complex architectures coming from AI chip makers.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
The aircraft use advanced sensors to "intercept and analyse signals across the electromagnetic spectrum, providing real-time strategic and tactical intelligence", according to the RAF website.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Unlike ordinary matter, dark matter does not interact with light or electromagnetic forces, making gravity the only known way to detect its presence.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
One day we may discover that some of our most cherished forms of knowledge are as obsolete as epicycles, phlogiston, caloric, the electromagnetic aether and, indeed, Newtonian physics.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
