repulsion

noun

re·​pul·​sion ri-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce repulsion (audio)
1
: the action of repulsing : the state of being repulsed
2
: the action of repelling : the force with which bodies, particles, or like forces repel one another
3
: a feeling of aversion : repugnance

Examples of repulsion in a Sentence

I read about what happened with a feeling of shock and repulsion. She felt a repulsion for politics. a repulsion between the particles their successful repulsion of the attack
Recent Examples on the Web For instance, temperature has more of an impact on corn starch particles, as do electrical charges, which build up between particles to cause a repulsion effect. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Dec. 2023 The basic response to any Yorgos Lanthimos film is repulsion. Armond White, National Review, 23 Feb. 2024 In 1845, Faraday discovered diamagnetism, a property of certain materials that give them a weak repulsion from a magnetic field. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Dec. 2023 Enlarge / Lagrange points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system like the Sun and Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 19 Dec. 2023 Charles is all neurosis and shame, hunched over, face frozen in a rictus of repulsion at his own existence, worried constantly about rejection. Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023 That’s why El Conde never ceases to oscillate between fascination and repulsion. Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023 Whether driven by repulsion from Russia or patriotism for their own nation, Ukrainians are changing their lingua franca – and their society. Lydia Tomkiw, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023 Through a complicated series of interactions involving mutual repulsion, these now gently interacting electrons ended up traveling in crowds — in clumps known as quasiparticles. Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English repulsioun, borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French repulcion, repulsion, borrowed from Medieval Latin repulsiōn, repulsiō "action of driving away or expelling" (Late Latin, "refutation"), derivative, with the suffix of verbal action -tiōn-, -tiō, of Latin repellere "to push away, drive back, fend off " (with -s- from past participle and verbal noun repulsus) — more at repel

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of repulsion was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near repulsion

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

repulsion

noun
re·​pul·​sion ri-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce repulsion (audio)
1
: the action of repulsing : the state of being repulsed
2
: the force with which bodies, particles, or like forces repel one another
3
: a feeling of great dislike : repugnance

Medical Definition

repulsion

noun
re·​pul·​sion ri-ˈpəl-shən How to pronounce repulsion (audio)
: the tendency of some linked genetic characters to be inherited separately because a dominant allele for each character occurs on the same chromosome as a recessive allele of the other compare coupling sense 2

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