molecular
Americanadjective
adjective
-
of or relating to molecules
molecular hydrogen
-
logic (of a sentence, formula, etc) capable of analysis into atomic formulae of the appropriate kind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of molecular
Compare meaning
How does molecular compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Use the adjective molecular to describe something that has to do with or is made up of molecules. If you're studying molecular biology, you're focusing on the molecules that make up living things. When a scientist studies things on a molecular level, she's looking at them up close, examining their cells. The adjective molecular comes up most often in biology and chemistry, and it always describes the very smallest units that make up organisms or elements. Molecular comes from the noun molecule, which means "extremely minute particle," from the Latin molecula, "tiny mass."
Vocabulary lists containing molecular
1.7.B Using Ice to Keep Orange Groves Warm
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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.
For more than half a century, one of the most influential ideas in molecular evolution has been the Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
"What makes this exciting is that we now have a specific target that could lead to a new type of treatment," said Kim, the P. Michael Conneally Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics.
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
Molecular solar thermal systems and fossil fuels are actually both forms of chemical energy storage.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Molecular studies conducted at the Institut Pasteur, led by Pascal Pineau, show that pesticides can interfere with processes that maintain normal cell function and identity.
From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026
Wayne Grody, director of the Diagnostic Molecular Pathology Laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles, was once a fierce opponent of consent for tissue research.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
