seismic
Americanadjective
adjective
-
Also (less commonly): seismical. relating to or caused by earthquakes or artificially produced earth tremors
-
of enormous proportions or having highly significant consequences
seismic social change
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of seismic
Explanation
For the ancient Greeks, "seismos" meant an earthquake. Later on, when the study of earthquakes became a science, anything seismic meant anything related to the study of the pressures in the Earth's crust. The English language has a long and proud tradition of stealing scientific words and applying them in all sorts of ways that scientists probably wish they didn't: Darwinian, tempestuous, evolutionary — to name but three. It's the same with seismic, which is now far more likely to be applied to political or psychological turmoil than anything to do with the earth opening up and molten hot lava spewing out.
Vocabulary lists containing seismic
Brace Yourself: Earthquake Words
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Super Seismic: Words for Volcanoes and Earthquakes
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This Week in Words: November 26 - December 1, 2017
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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.
Together, the seismic observations and chemical evidence help researchers develop a clearer picture of how a giant volcanic system can gradually rebuild its underground magma supply following a massive eruption.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
State-owned Codelco was, for example, forced to suspend expansion of the El Teniente mine -- Chile's largest -- after studies flagged up seismic risks.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
In this amount of time, seismic waves in the surrounding area can indicate the rough size of the landslide and whether it occurred near open water.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
But at the time it was seismic stuff, and it symbolised the conversion of football from sport into big business.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The movement produces what is known as seismic waves.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
