elementary particle

noun

: any of the particles of which matter and energy are composed or which mediate the fundamental forces of nature
especially : one whose existence has not been attributed to the combination of other more fundamental entities

Examples of elementary particle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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One of its most significant discoveries was the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle that explained how elementary particles have mass. George Petras, USA Today, 17 May 2025 To model these events precisely, the team turned to quantum field theory, which is a branch of physics typically used to describe interactions between elementary particles. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 16 May 2025 Nowadays, physicists consider chirality a fundamental property of all elementary particles, just like charge or mass. Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 14 May 2025 This indistinguishability is a crucial property of elementary particles; no experiment can tell two of a kind apart. Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elementary particle

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elementary particle was in 1934

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Cite this Entry

“Elementary particle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elementary%20particle. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

elementary particle

noun
: any of the particles (as electrons or photons) of matter and energy that are smaller than atoms and do not appear to be made up of a combination of more basic things

Medical Definition

elementary particle

noun
1
: any of the particles of which matter and energy are composed or which mediate the fundamental forces of nature
especially : one (as the photon or the electron) whose existence has not been attributed to the combination of other more fundamental entities
2
: one of the structural units of mitochondrial cristae that are observable by the electron microscope usually as spheres or stalked spheres and are probably the seat of fundamental energy-producing reactions

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