physicist
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of physicist
Explanation
A physicist is a scientist who studies and is trained in physics, which is the study of nature, especially how matter and energy behave. Do you ever wonder how things work? If you're interested in what makes magnets attract iron or what's happening in atoms, then maybe you should become a physicist. Physicists study physics, which is related to the word physical. Physicists are interested in everything that physically exists, from tiny gadgets to massive stars. It takes many years of school to become a physicist, and physicists work on complex projects such as space travel and new energy sources.
Vocabulary lists containing physicist
Albert Einstein
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Bomb
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Subtle Knife
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The stakes of Thursday's launch are "huge," said physicist G. Scott Hubbard, a former director of NASA's Ames Research Center.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
The study also builds on earlier work by Caltech physicist Steven Frautschi and UC Berkeley physicist Geoffrey Chew, who pioneered the bootstrap approach in particle physics during the 1960s.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
In 1974, Caltech physicist John Schwarz and French physicist Joël Scherk recognized that string theory could also include gravity.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
Dan Brunner, a physicist who runs fusion-industry advisory firm Future Tech Partners, told MarketWatch that TAE is “certainly not an industry leader at this point.”
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Taking a break in the Tinian officers’ club with Serber and Phil Morrison, a theoretical physicist from Berkeley, he remembered Ryokichi Sagane and his two-year sojourn at the Rad Lab.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
