: a subatomic particle identical to another subatomic particle in mass but opposite to it in electric and magnetic properties (such as sign of charge) that when brought together with its counterpart produces mutual annihilation
especially
: a subatomic particle not found in ordinary matter
Examples of antiparticle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The standard model describes how these particles and their antiparticles interact through three forces: electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force that binds quarks, and the weak nuclear force that enables quarks and other particles to decay and change type.
—
Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024
As the name implies, antimatter is the exact opposite of ordinary matter, as it is made of antiparticles instead of ordinary particles.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
These antiparticles are identical in mass to their regular counterparts.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
But just like looking in a mirror reverses left and right, the electrical charges of antiparticles are reversed.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
In science fiction, antiparticles provide the power for warp drives.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Some physicists have speculated that antiparticles are being repelled by gravity or even traveling backward in time.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
An article on Thursday about antimatter referred incorrectly to some attributes of antiparticles.
—New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023
If dark matter particles are also their own antiparticles, as many dark matter theories posit, then within these collapsing clouds, those particles would have collided with each other and self-annihilated.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 20 July 2023
Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024
As the name implies, antimatter is the exact opposite of ordinary matter, as it is made of antiparticles instead of ordinary particles.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
These antiparticles are identical in mass to their regular counterparts.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
But just like looking in a mirror reverses left and right, the electrical charges of antiparticles are reversed.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023
In science fiction, antiparticles provide the power for warp drives.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Some physicists have speculated that antiparticles are being repelled by gravity or even traveling backward in time.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
An article on Thursday about antimatter referred incorrectly to some attributes of antiparticles.
—New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023
If dark matter particles are also their own antiparticles, as many dark matter theories posit, then within these collapsing clouds, those particles would have collided with each other and self-annihilated.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 20 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antiparticle.' 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 antiparticle
Cite this Entry
“Antiparticle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiparticle. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
antiparticle
noun
an·ti·par·ti·cle
ˈant-i-ˌpärt-i-kəl 
ˈan-ˌtī-
: an elementary particle identical to another elementary particle in mass but opposite to it in electric or magnetic properties
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