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physics

American  
[fiz-iks] / ˈfɪz ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.

physics Cultural  

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

Etymology

Origin of physics

First recorded in 1580–90; physic, -ics

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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.

In his teens, he went on to join the air cadets youth programme, and to study space science and physics at university.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The research brought together experts in engineering, physics, microscopy and cell biology.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

"The bottleneck isn't just money. It's industrial physics", Matisek said, pointing to issues including capacity constraints at the supplier level.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

Models that learn the physics and dynamics of the real world from video data to predict future states are becoming more important, the analysts add.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Where Aristotelian physics had depended on all five of the senses, the new physics relied only on the sense of sight.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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.