subatomic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a process that occurs within an atom.
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noting or pertaining to a particle or particles contained in an atom, as electrons, protons, or neutrons.
adjective
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of, relating to, or being a particle making up an atom or a process occurring within atoms
the electron is a subatomic particle
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having dimensions smaller than atomic dimensions
Etymology
Origin of subatomic
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.
For decades, a puzzling discrepancy involving a tiny subatomic particle called the muon fueled speculation that physicists might be on the verge of discovering an entirely new force of nature.
From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026
Mr. Oluseyi divides the universe into nine “realms,” ranging from the subatomic to the cosmological.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Axions are theoretical subatomic particles that scientists believe could help explain dark matter.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 28, 2025
Powerful systems like the System Two operate based on the principles of quantum mechanics, the science behind atoms, molecules, and subatomic particles.
From Barron's ● Dec. 10, 2025
The lab was swimming in a sea of subatomic projectiles.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
