fissile
Americanadjective
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capable of being split or divided; cleavable.
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Physics.
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(of a nuclide) capable of undergoing fission induced by low-energy neutrons, as uranium 233 and 235.
adjective
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capable of undergoing nuclear fission as a result of the impact of slow neutrons
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another word for fissionable
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tending to split or capable of being split
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of fissile
1655–65; < Latin fissilis, equivalent to fiss ( us ) ( see fissi-) + -ilis -ile
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.
Iran isn’t currently enriching uranium and would need to recover fissile material that is buried under tons of rubble if it wanted to sprint to a bomb.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Both Leavitt and Hegseth, however, mentioned that the United States wants to ensure Iran does not have stockpiles of enriched uranium, the fissile material that is key in developing nuclear weapons.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
"Beijing is on track to have the fissile material necessary for more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030," Yeaw said.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
It is unclear when Mr Kim made the visit and if the site is at the North's sprawling Yongbyon nuclear complex, which produces fissile material for Pyongyang's nuclear weapons.
From BBC • Sep. 13, 2024
The discovery of a fissile isotope that could be separated from its parent by chemical means might quell the skepticism still bogging down the uranium program.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
