nuclear

[noo-klee-er, nyoo-, -kyuh-ler]

adjective

1. pertaining to or involving atomic weapons.

   nuclear war.

2. operated or powered by atomic energy.

   a nuclear submarine.

3. (of a nation or group of nations) having atomic weapons.

4. of, relating to, or forming a nucleus.

5. of, relating to, or like the nuclear family.

   nuclear bonds.

noun

Informal.

1. nuclear energy.

   switching to nuclear as a power source.

nuclear

/ ˈnjuːklɪə /

adjective

1. of, concerned with, or involving the nucleus of an atom

   nuclear fission

2. biology of, relating to, or contained within the nucleus of a cell

   a nuclear membrane

3. of, relating to, forming, or resembling any other kind of nucleus

4. of, concerned with, or operated by energy from fission or fusion of atomic nuclei

   a nuclear weapon

5. involving, concerned with, or possessing nuclear weapons

   nuclear war

   a nuclear strike

nuclear

1. Relating to or forming a cell nucleus.

2. Relating to atomic nuclei.

3. Using energy derived from the nuclei of atoms through fission or fusion reactions.

Pronunciation Note

In pronouncing nuclear, the second and third syllables are most commonly said as , a sequence of sounds that directly reflects the spelled sequence ‑cle·ar. In recent years, a somewhat controversial pronunciation has come to public attention, with these two final syllables said as . Since , the common pronunciation of ‑cle·ar, might also be represented, broadly, as , the pronunciation can be seen as coming from a process of metathesis, in which the and the change places. The resulting pronunciation is reinforced by analogy with such words as molecular, particular, and muscular, and although it occurs with some frequency among highly educated speakers, including scientists, professors, and government officials, it is disapproved of by many.

Other Word Forms

• internuclear adjective
• multinuclear adjective
• postnuclear adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuclear¹

1840–50; nucle(us) + -ar ¹; compare French nucléaire

Example Sentences

Western security agencies say these funds are used to finance North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile development programs.

From BBC

Spain's nuclear power plants automatically stopped when the blackout hit, and the Spanish oil company Moeve said it halted operations at its oil refineries.

From BBC

Both the UK and the US have warned that Russia has been developing the capability to put nuclear weapons in space.

From BBC

There were also prominent retired generals like Lee Butler and James Cartwright who called for sharp reductions in, or the total elimination of, all nuclear weapons globally, including the American arsenal.

From Salon

In 1979, she played a reporter in “The China Syndrome,” a film about a fictional meltdown at a nuclear power plant near Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• basic 
• essential 
• fundamental 
• important 
• key 
• paramount 
• pivotal 
• significant