nuclear energy
Americannoun
noun
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The energy released by the nucleus of an atom as the result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or radioactive decay. The amount of energy released by the nuclear fission of a given mass of uranium is about 2,500,000 times greater than that released by the combustion of an equal mass of carbon. And the amount of energy released by the nuclear fusion of a given mass of deuterium is about 400 times greater that that released by the nuclear fission of an equal mass of uranium.
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Also called atomic energy
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Electricity generated by a nuclear reactor.
Pronunciation
See nuclear ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of nuclear energy
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
Over the past six months, the Russell 2000 benefited from a boom in shares of technology stocks and, in particular, highly-speculative names tied to popular themes like quantum computing, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
Switzerland is less reliant on oil-and-gas than the neighboring eurozone, given its higher reliance on Alpine hydroelectricity and nuclear energy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The cruel irony is that this danger is arriving precisely as the world is rushing toward nuclear energy.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
It added that "the targeting of peaceful nuclear energy facilities is a flagrant violation of international law, the UN charter, and the principles of humanitarian law".
From BBC • May 17, 2026
But Dad’s main interest was energy: thermal energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, electrical energy, and energy from the wind.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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.
