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

"If we don't understand the underlying tectonic processes, it's hard to predict the seismic hazard," said coauthor Amanda Thomas, professor of earth and planetary sciences at UC Davis.

From Science Daily

Driving gold is a seismic shift in global politics.

From Barron's

All of that was true long before the seismic events of Thursday night.

From The Wall Street Journal

But what had happened behind the scenes was seismic, say insiders.

From BBC

One major reason is that more people are living in regions where seismic activity is common.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• tectonic