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
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.
But the fissile material required to build nuclear weapons remains in the country, under the watch of U.S. satellite surveillance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The fuel has a higher concentration of the fissile isotope U-235 than what’s used in traditional reactors, allowing smaller reactor designs to run more efficiently.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
It takes experienced scientists to safely mold volatile fissile material into uranium metal for a warhead and to build in other crucial components.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
The Kim regime has an estimated stockpile of roughly 50 nuclear warheads, with the fissile material to produce dozens more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
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
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