physics

noun

phys·​ics ˈfi-ziks 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

: a science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions

2

a

: the physical processes and phenomena of a particular system

b

: the physical properties and composition of something

Examples of physics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The answer lies in the fundamental laws of physics. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025

Authorities say 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a former Brown student, opened fire inside the elite university's engineering and physics building, killing students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, before traveling to Boston to kill MIT professor Nuno Loureiro. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025

But the statement is based in quantum physics and is quite literal. —Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

With this philosophy, physics has made enormous progress in advancing our understanding of the universe, from subatomic quantum systems to the Big Bang. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 29 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin physica, plural, natural science, from Greek physika, from neuter plural of physikos of nature, from physis growth, nature, from phyein to bring forth — more at be

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing physics

• high-energy physics
• particle physics

Rhymes for physics

• astrophysics
• geophysics
• metaphysics
• tectonophysics

Kids Definition

physics

noun

phys·​ics ˈfiz-iks 

1

: a science that deals with matter and energy and their actions upon each other in the fields of mechanics, heat, light, electricity, sound, and the atomic nucleus

2

: physical composition, characteristics, or processes

the physics of sound

Medical Definition

physics

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

phys·​ics ˈfiz-iks 

: a science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions in the fields of mechanics, acoustics, optics, heat, electricity, magnetism, radiation, atomic structure, and nuclear phenomena