adiabatic

adjective

adi·​a·​bat·​ic ˌa-dē-ə-ˈba-tik 

ˌā-ˌdī-ə-

: occurring without loss or gain of heat

adiabatic expansion of a gas

adiabatically

ˌa-dē-ə-ˈba-ti-k(ə-)lē 

ˌā-ˌdī-ə-

adverb

Examples of adiabatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The process is effectively adiabatic: the energy is concentrated rather than lost. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2026

Now, adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration technology already exists. —Etiido Uko march 23, New Atlas, 23 Mar. 2026

The researchers designed an adiabatic optical transition inside the lantern. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026

Those fluctuations should be 100% adiabatic (of constant entropy) and not isocurvature (of the same spatial curvature) in nature. —Big Think, 22 Oct. 2025

That process causes something called adiabatic warming, so the winds feel warm or hot. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

Another based on adiabatic quantum computing involves the D-Wave quantum annealing machines being tested by Google, NASA and Lockheed Martin. —Jeremy Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Greek adiábatos "impassable" (from a- a- entry 2 + diabatós "to be crossed, fordable," verbal adjective of diabaínein "to step across, pass over," from dia- dia- + baínein "to walk, step") + -ic entry 1 — more at come entry 1

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for adiabatic

• aristocratic
• asymptomatic
• axiomatic
• diagrammatic
• diaphragmatic
• electrostatic
• endolymphatic
• epigrammatic
• homeostatic
• idiomatic
• magnetostatic
• melodramatic

Kids Definition

adiabatic

adjective

adi·​a·​bat·​ic ˌad-ē-ə-ˈbat-ik 

ˌā-ˌdī-ə-

: occurring without loss or gain of heat

adiabatic expansion of a gas

adiabatically

-ˈbat-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb