nuclear energy

[ noo-klee-er en-er-jee, nyoo- ]

noun

1. energy released by reactions within atomic nuclei, as in nuclear fission or fusion.

nuclear energy

noun

1. energy released during a nuclear reaction as a result of fission or fusion Also calledatomic energy

nuclear energy

1. The energy released by the nucleus of an atom as the result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or radioactive decay. The amount of energy released by the nuclear fission of a given mass of uranium is about 2,500,000 times greater than that released by the combustion of an equal mass of carbon. And the amount of energy released by the nuclear fusion of a given mass of deuterium is about 400 times greater that that released by the nuclear fission of an equal mass of uranium.
2. Also called atomic energy
3. Electricity generated by a nuclear reactor.

nuclear energy

1. Energy obtained from nuclear reactions .

Pronunciation Note

See nuclear ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuclear energy¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Brendan Pittman, 33 — who founded the Berkeley Amend movement, aiming to get his city to drop its “nuclear-free zone” status — said he’s noticed that younger people have become more open to learning about nuclear energy.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Curyer believes his mine could prove to be “absolutely critical” to America’s nuclear energy future, as the US is now hunting for alternatives to Russia, including by ramping up exploration on its own soil.

From BBC

Amazon is partnering with Dominion Energy Virginia, Energy Northwest and Talen Energy to explore new efforts to advance nuclear energy, including the development of smaller and faster nuclear reactors.

From Los Angeles Times

Earlier this year, Amazon also signed a deal which involves purchasing nuclear energy to power a data centre.

From BBC

“We've benefited from nuclear energy in this country for 70 years, but we are still a long way behind cleaning up the legacy that has been left behind,” says Prof Corkhill.

From BBC

Related Words

• atomic energy
• nuclear power