seismic

adjective

seis·​mic ˈsīz-mik How to pronounce seismic (audio)
ˈsīs-
1
: of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake
also : of or relating to an earth vibration caused by something else (such as an explosion or the impact of a meteorite)
2
: of or relating to a vibration on a celestial body (such as the moon) comparable to a seismic event on earth
3
: having a strong or widespread impact : earthshaking
seismic social changes
seismically adverb

Examples of seismic in a Sentence

Seismic social changes have occurred.
Recent Examples on the Web An office culture that evolved as the U.S. economy left its agrarian roots is undergoing another seismic transformation. Tom Saler, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 Every smile and gesture has the heroic conviction of a performer who wants his presence to register with seismic force. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 There’s a hint of self-effacement in Campillo’s demotion of his own coming-of-age tale, an acknowledgement of the smallness of his memories relative to the island’s own seismic story of the time, even if the film never quite gives itself over to more radical ideas. Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Bushnell’s death circled the world with seismic ripples. Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 The system uses data from seismic stations already in Alaska’s monitoring network. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024 From her farrier father being recruited by none other than town founder Charles Page to come from Missouri to the new state of Oklahoma, to the pre-television world and living through the Depression, World War II and other seismic events. Susan Young, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 Kaiser is under a deadline — as is the case with some other hospitals in California — to ensure that its major medical centers comply with state seismic regulations. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 But where there are fairly obvious geographical, meteorological, and seismic threats, it’s seen as good planning by the state to be ready—to prepare for things like tsunamis and earthquakes in New Zealand, for example. Rob Reddick, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seismic.' 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

Greek seismos shock, earthquake, from seiein to shake; probably akin to Avestan thwaēshō fear

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seismic was in 1858

Dictionary Entries Near seismic

Cite this Entry

“Seismic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seismic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

seismic

adjective
seis·​mic ˈsīz-mik How to pronounce seismic (audio)
ˈsīs-
: of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake or an earth vibration caused by something else (as an explosion)

More from Merriam-Webster on seismic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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