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

The newly reported findings focus on how gallium behaves at the atomic level, revealing properties that challenge decades of scientific understanding.

From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026

Roughly 450 atomic clocks, housed in about 80 laboratories worldwide, are continuously compared and averaged into a single international standard known as Coordinated Universal Time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

"It is not well understood how and when -- for example at what frequency -- this transition will happen at such a tiny atomic scale," says Dr. Milner.

From Science Daily • Jul. 4, 2026

“I don’t think the gap will be the same as the Manhattan Project,” he said, referring to the scramble to build the first atomic bomb.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

To take a recent example, historians are still debating whether blueprint copying or idea diffusion contributed more to Russia’s building of an atomic bomb.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• microscopic