ground state

noun

Physics.

1. the state of least energy of a particle, as an atom, or of a system of particles.

ground state

noun

1. the lowest energy state of an atom, molecule, particle, etc Compare excited

ground state

1. The state of a physical system having the lowest possible potential energy. For example, an electron in the lowest energy orbital in a hydrogen atom is in a ground state. The ground state of a physical system tends to be stable unless energy is applied to it from the outside; states that are not the ground state have a tendency to revert to the ground state, giving off energy in the process.

2. Compare excited state

Word History and Origins

Origin of ground state¹

First recorded in 1925–30