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
On a basic physics level, warmer water expands more than colder water, which in the oceans means sea level rise.
—
Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2024
Isaac Newton’s physics paved the way for Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, leading to even more complicated questions in quantum physics that are now sparking a barrage of questions that will ultimately lead us … where?
—Keith Wagstaff, Popular Science, 5 June 2024
For all the avant-garde amateur physics and brain-smoothing New Age thought at Contact, there was also real feeling that the world was being proven more complex and fantastical by the week.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Because physics uses the letter B as the symbol to designate magnetic fields, it is known as the B-mode.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for physics 
Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2024
Isaac Newton’s physics paved the way for Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, leading to even more complicated questions in quantum physics that are now sparking a barrage of questions that will ultimately lead us … where?
—Keith Wagstaff, Popular Science, 5 June 2024
For all the avant-garde amateur physics and brain-smoothing New Age thought at Contact, there was also real feeling that the world was being proven more complex and fantastical by the week.
—August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
Because physics uses the letter B as the symbol to designate magnetic fields, it is known as the B-mode.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for physics
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'physics.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near physics
Cite this Entry
“Physics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physics. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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