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subatomic

American  
[suhb-uh-tom-ik] / ˌsʌb əˈtɒm ɪk /

adjective

Physics.
  1. of or relating to a process that occurs within an atom.

  2. noting or pertaining to a particle or particles contained in an atom, as electrons, protons, or neutrons.


subatomic British  
/ ˌsʌbəˈtɒmɪk /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or being a particle making up an atom or a process occurring within atoms

    the electron is a subatomic particle

  2. having dimensions smaller than atomic dimensions

"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

subatomic Cultural  
  1. A descriptive term for objects and events within the atom.


Etymology

Origin of subatomic

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + atomic


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.

See Examples For:

The Pleiadians would then harness spiritual energy from subatomic tachyon particles in order to heal me, performing what Tourtsakis referred to as “surgeries.”

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

Beginning in the 1950s, high-energy collision experiments started revealing large numbers of subatomic particles collectively known as hadrons.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

Even though it is much larger than individual subatomic particles, it still follows the laws of quantum mechanics.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

Mr. Oluseyi divides the universe into nine “realms,” ranging from the subatomic to the cosmological.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Improbably he wondered if the neutron–the subatomic particle that had just been discovered in England by James Chadwick, and was thus both novel and rather fashionable–might be at the heart of things.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

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