atomic

American  

[uh-tom-ik] / əˈtɒm ɪk /

Also atomical

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, resulting from, or using atoms, atomic energy, or atomic bombs.

   an atomic explosion.

2. propelled or driven by atomic energy.

   an atomic submarine.

3. Chemistry. existing as free, uncombined atoms.

4. extremely minute.

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atomic British  

/ əˈtɒmɪk /

adjective

1. of, using, or characterized by atomic bombs or atomic energy

   atomic warfare

2. of, related to, or comprising atoms

   atomic hydrogen

3. extremely small; minute

4. logic (of a sentence, formula, etc) having no internal structure at the appropriate level of analysis. In predicate calculus, Fa is an atomic sentence and Fx an atomic predicate

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atomic Scientific  

/ ə-tŏm′ĭk /

1. Relating to an atom or to atoms.

2. Employing nuclear energy.

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Other Word Forms

• nonatomic
  adjective
• nonatomical
  adjective
• atomically
  adverb
• nonatomically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of atomic

First recorded in 1670–80; atom + -ic

Explanation

Something that has to do with atoms is atomic. Atomic structure, for example, means the way an atom is organized and what it's made of. You'll often find the word atomic specifically describing power or weapons — in this case, atomic means the process of either splitting an atom, known as fission, or joining two atoms, fusion, to create energy. Also, every chemical element has its own atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus of one of the element's atoms. Atomic comes from the Latin atomus, "indivisible particle," from the Greek atomos, "uncut" or "indivisible."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atomic

Not long before McCarthy’s speech, the purported Russian spy Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury and atomic physicist Klaus Fuchs was unmasked as a Russian spy embedded in the Los Alamos atomic bomb laboratory.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

With the explosion of the atomic bomb, Kip’s belief system is literally shattered, leaving him to find a new path in life that, sadly, doesn’t include Hana.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

The United States on Wednesday announced it had created a "clear framework" for the eventual deployment of offshore nuclear reactors, as part of the Trump administration's push to drastically ramp up atomic energy output.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Morishita was born in Hiroshima in 1948, three years after the city was obliterated by an atomic bomb.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

In 1947, she warned of the dangers of atomic warfare and campaigned for global efforts to ban nuclear weapons.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• microscopic