supramolecular

American  

[soo-pruh-muh-lek-yuh-ler] / ˌsu prə məˈlɛk jə lər /

adjective

1. having an organization more complex than that of a molecule.

2. composed of an aggregate of molecules.

---

supramolecular British  

/ ˌsjuː-, ˌsuːprəməˈlɛkjʊlə /

adjective

1. more complex than a molecule

2. consisting of more than one molecule

---

Etymology

Origin of supramolecular

First recorded in 1905–10; supra- + molecular

Example Sentences

Stupp credits the therapy's effectiveness to supramolecular motion, meaning the ability of the molecules to move rapidly and even briefly detach from the nanofiber network.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

Rather than using nanoparticles as passive carriers, the researchers designed bioactive nanoparticles that function as "supramolecular drugs."

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2025

And there remains a great deal of territory to explore explaining this "supramolecular" chemistry of latent pores.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2024

However, the influence of halogen bonds on the rapid photoinduced changes within supramolecular systems remains largely unexplored due to a lack of experimental techniques that can directly observe the halogen bond in action.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2024

It also highlights that in the case of materials that are prone to supramolecular polymorphism, such as the toroid and random coil, it is essential to purify the assemblies before analyzing their photophysical properties.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024