Definitions

nuclear reactor

[noo-klee-er ree-ak-ter, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər riˈæk tər, ˈnyu- /

NOUN

atomic reactor

Synonyms

STRONGEST

reactor

WEAK

atomic furnace atomic pile atomic power plant atomic reactor breeder reactor chain reactor core reactor fast breeder reactor neutron factory nuclear furnace nuclear power plant pile plutonium reactor reactor pile thermonuclear reactor uranium reactor

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 is a grid-scale nuclear reactor that will be built in 42 months.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Investors are cautious about new nuclear reactor investments due to high costs, preferring clear paths and risk mitigation.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

China now has 38 nuclear reactor units under construction and is on schedule to exceed the U.S. capacity by 2030.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Today, Bloom’s factory can produce one gigawatt of capacity a year, about as much as a nuclear reactor, but it expects to double capacity before the end of the year.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

But the possibility of a nuclear reactor losing every source of power at once had never seemed real, so no one had thought through solutions ahead of time.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland