tectonics

American  

[tek-ton-iks] / tɛkˈtɒn ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the science or art of assembling, shaping, or ornamenting materials in construction; the constructive arts in general.

2. structural geology.

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tectonics British  

/ tɛkˈtɒnɪks /

noun

1. the art and science of construction or building

2. the study of the processes by which the earth's crust has attained its present structure See also plate tectonics

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tectonics Scientific  

/ tĕk-tŏn′ĭks /

1. The branch of geology that deals with the broad structural and deformational features of the outer part of the Earth, their origins, and the relationships between them.

2. See more at plate tectonics

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Etymology

Origin of tectonics

First recorded in 1625–35; tectonic, -ics

Example Sentences

And with no plate tectonics, or wind and rain to wipe this record away, the Moon is a perfect time capsule.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

The resulting 1978 masterpiece—sublimely detailed and marvelously strange in its presentation of unseen ridges, troughs and endless plains—reflected the newly established theories of plate tectonics and continental drift.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

These findings highlight the overwhelming odds against discovering Earth-like planets that possess both plate tectonics and a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere containing the right balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

From Science Daily • Oct. 12, 2025

And scientists hadn’t yet developed the theory of plate tectonics, which we now know explains why California is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

Earth is alone among the rocky planets in having tectonics, and why this should be is a bit of a mystery.

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