Main Entry: elec·tro·mag·ne·tism

Pronunciation: \i-ˌlek-trō-ˈmag-nə-ˌti-zəm\

Function: noun

Date: 1828

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