electromagnetism

noun

elec·​tro·​mag·​ne·​tism i-ˌlek-trō-ˈmag-nə-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce electromagnetism (audio)
1
: magnetism developed by a current of electricity
2
a
: a fundamental physical force that is responsible for interactions between charged particles which occur because of their charge and for the emission and absorption of photons, that is about a hundredth the strength of the strong force, and that extends over infinite distances but is dominant over atomic and molecular distances

called also electromagnetic force

compare gravity sense 3a(2), strong force, weak force
b
: a branch of physical science that deals with the physical relations between electricity and magnetism

Examples of electromagnetism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Alas, that same electric charge makes positrons susceptible to tiny electric fields—and electromagnetism eclipses gravity’s force. Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 27 Sep. 2023 Induction stoves use electromagnetism to heat up pots and pans (and have glass tops). Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Feb. 2023 Here are the groundbreaking contributions physicists made to the field of electromagnetism. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023 Phillips, for example, suspects that strange metals call for an emergent form of electromagnetism that doesn’t rely on whole electrons. Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023 Interspersed with explanations of electromagnetism and refraction are notes about which scientist was a poor singer (Ernest Rutherford), which scientist didn’t like that one (Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton), and which scientist felt threatened by his protégé (Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday). Angelina Torre, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023 Most notably, physicists believe that at one time, all four forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear and weak nuclear) were merged into a single, unified force. Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022 In the early 1820s mathematician François Arago, his friend, told Ampère about experiments in electromagnetism that were being conducted by Danish physicist Hans Christian Ørsted. IEEE Spectrum, 11 July 2023 These computer simulations use fluid dynamics and electromagnetism to re-create solar physics; scientists then feed in observational data to anticipate what the polar field and other precursors could look like a few years out. Javier Barbuzano, Quanta Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'electromagnetism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of electromagnetism was in 1821

Dictionary Entries Near electromagnetism

Cite this Entry

“Electromagnetism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electromagnetism. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

electromagnetism

noun
elec·​tro·​mag·​ne·​tism i-ˌlek-trō-ˈmag-nə-ˌtiz-əm How to pronounce electromagnetism (audio)
1
: magnetism developed by a current of electricity
2
: a natural force arising from interactions between charged particles

Medical Definition

electromagnetism

noun
elec·​tro·​mag·​ne·​tism i-ˌlek-trō-ˈmag-nə-ˌtiz-əm How to pronounce electromagnetism (audio)
1
: magnetism developed by a current of electricity
2
: physics dealing with the relations between electricity and magnetism

More from Merriam-Webster on electromagnetism

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