force field
Americannoun
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force fields
plural
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Physics. a field of any type of energy, such as gravitational, magnetic, or electric, that surrounds and affects something.
Figure 2 shows the electrical force fields surrounding the positive and negative charges that produce them.
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Chemistry. a method of calculating the amount of potential energy acting between particles, atoms, or molecules.
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(in fantasy and science fiction) a space around a planet, spacecraft, etc., in which some kind of energy or special power operates as a barrier.
The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains safely locked up and away from the mainland.
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a particularly intense emotional or spiritual energy, charisma, aura, vibe, etc., that has the effect either of drawing others closer or of keeping them away.
It’s not always safe to self-reveal—I know when I can let down my guard, and when I need to have the force field up.
The eyes of the ancient statue glittered with an unsettling intelligence and grace, and I was captured by the force field of a powerful presence.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of force field
First recorded in 1910–15
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.
“You have to put a force field around them,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Instead, the player nicknamed “The Alien” puts a force field around the basket—making would-be attackers turn tail and run away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
Choi — known best as the creator of the gourmet Korean-Mexican taco truck Kogi and for his turn on “The Chef Show” with Jon Favreau — calls it a kind of force field.
From Salon ● May 19, 2025
You can actually feel that force field watching the movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2024
“Because once the force field blew, you’d be the first ones they’d try to capture, and the less you knew, the better,” says Haymitch.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
