physics

American  

[fiz-iks] / ˈfɪz ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the science that deals with matter, energy, motion, and force.

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physics British  

/ ˈfɪzɪks /

noun

1. the branch of science concerned with the properties of matter and energy and the relationships between them. It is based on mathematics and traditionally includes mechanics, optics, electricity and magnetism, acoustics, and heat. Modern physics, based on quantum theory, includes atomic, nuclear, particle, and solid-state studies. It can also embrace applied fields such as geophysics and meteorology

2. physical properties of behaviour

   the physics of the electron

3. archaic natural science or natural philosophy

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physics Scientific  

/ fĭz′ĭks /

1. The scientific study of matter, energy, space, and time, and of the relations between them.

2. The behavior of a given physical system, especially as understood by a physical theory.

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physics Cultural  

1. The scientific study of matter and motion. (See mechanics, optics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and thermodynamics.)

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Etymology

Origin of physics

First recorded in 1580–90; physic, -ics

Compare meaning

How does physics compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• physical science vs. physics

Example Sentences

Because of this shift in physics, conventional robotic designs fail.

From Science Daily

"We were excited to be able to combine results from experiment and theory, across physics, chemistry, and optics, to learn something new about electron dynamics in the complex liquid environment."

From Science Daily

Born in Sweden to a Swedish psychologist mother and American mathematician father, Tegmark studied economics before shifting to physics, earning his Ph.D. in the subject from the University of California at Berkeley.

From The Wall Street Journal

They developed a transport model based on many-body physics and quantum chemistry that can predict device behavior directly from molecular structure.

From Science Daily

In 1996, he entered South Korea’s prestigious Seoul National University to study electrical engineering—a topic that applied his favorite subjects, math and physics, to real-world settings.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• biology