seismic

American  

[sahyz-mik, sahys-] / ˈsaɪz mɪk, ˈsaɪs- /

Sometimes seismal

adjective

1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or caused by an earthquake or vibration of the earth, whether due to natural or artificial causes.

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seismic British  

/ ˈsaɪzmɪk /

adjective

1. Also (less commonly): seismical.  relating to or caused by earthquakes or artificially produced earth tremors

2. of enormous proportions or having highly significant consequences

   seismic social change

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seismic Scientific  

/ sīz′mĭk /

1. Relating to an earthquake or to other tremors of the Earth, such as those caused by large explosions.

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Other Word Forms

• nonseismic adjective
• seismically adverb
• unseismal adjective
• unseismic adjective

Etymology

Origin of seismic

First recorded in 1855–60; seism + -ic

Example Sentences

The balance of power among AI frontier labs is undergoing a seismic shift yet again, as OpenAI finds itself fending off challengers in a race that it once dominated alone.

From MarketWatch

And while a World Cup semi-final against cricket's superpower is seismic in its own right, this is one that could decide the direction of the next two years of English cricket.

From BBC

John Jurgensen has reported on the entertainment world for The Wall Street Journal for nearly two decades, covering Hollywood and other sectors undergoing seismic changes.

From The Wall Street Journal

If the takeover goes through, it would be a seismic shift for the entertainment industry, giving Paramount ownership of Warner, HBO and many popular cable networks including CNN.

From The Wall Street Journal

Amid this seismic shift looms an existential question: Can those cities survive without them?

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• tectonic