high-energy physics

American  

[hahy-en-er-jee] / ˈhaɪˈɛn ər dʒi /

noun

1. the branch of particle physics that deals with the collisions of particles accelerated to such high energies that new elementary particles are created by the collisions.

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high-energy physics British  

noun

1. another name for particle physics

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Etymology

Origin of high-energy physics

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

"As a rule, experiments in high-energy physics have different designs even if they have the same science goal. Joint analyses allow us to use complementary features of these designs."

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2025

As large-scale projects like LBNF/DUNE have ramped up over the last five years, Congress has increased the DOE’s overall budget for high-energy physics by nearly 30 percent.

From Scientific American • Apr. 13, 2022

Fusion energy sciences and high-energy physics get only $1 million more than they received this year, some $671 million and $1.046 billion, respectively, whereas the budget for nuclear physics is flat, at $713 million.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 22, 2020

The federal government has long backed major research projects like particle accelerators for high-energy physics in the 1960s and supercomputing centers in the 1980s.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2020

Leaders of Lawrences Berkeley and Livermore empire during the postwar bonanza, which enriched the university and secured the Rad Lab’s position as the preeminent center of high-energy physics in the nation, perhaps the world.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik