nuclear physics

[noo-klee-er fiz-iks, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər ˈfɪz ɪks, ˈnyu- /

NOUN

atomic science

Synonyms

STRONGEST

particle physics quantum mechanics

WEAK

atomic physics atomics atomistics atomology nucleonics quantum physics

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This holds the same profound implications for defense and intelligence today as nuclear physics did 80 years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

It’s going from social media and crypto into nuclear physics.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

The experiment involved bombarding a thin sheet of gold foil with alpha particles, and earned Rutherford, from Bridgewater on New Zealand's South Island, the moniker the "father of nuclear physics".

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025

While in the Navy, Carter took graduate courses in nuclear physics and served as a submariner on the USS Pomfret.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2024

The government’s enormous role in research, especially in nuclear physics, made many scientists uneasy.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik