ionization

British

/ ˌaɪənaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. the formation of ions as a result of a chemical reaction, high temperature, electrical discharge, particle collisions, or radiation
2. ( as modifier )
  
  ionization temperature
  ionization current

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Vocabulary lists containing ionization

Physics - High School

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Electromagnetic Radiation - High School

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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.

Earlier work using mass spectrometry indicated that single-electron ionization could help break C-H bonds, but that method could only infer structures in the gas phase and could not isolate solid products.

From Science Daily • Oct. 29, 2025

Environmental Protection Agency also released a statement cautioning against claims made about the the effectiveness of air filters using ionization to protect people from COVID-19.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2025

While scientists expected to see this same ionization near the Uranus moons, they were surprised to see a “vacuum magnetosphere” with no water ions.

From Salon • Dec. 1, 2024

It’s located about 1,000 light years from Earth and it’s visible thanks to the ionization of gases by the blue giant star Persei.

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2024

During one collaboration, he and Philip Abelson were bedeviled by the erratic performance of an ionization chamber until Abelson noticed that its behavior corresponded to Kamen’s wanderings around the room.

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