electromagnetism

noun

elec·tro·mag·ne·tism | \ i-ˌlek-trō-ˈmag-nə-ˌti-zəm

Definition of electromagnetism

1 : magnetism developed by a current of electricity

2a : 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 sense 3a(2), strong force, weak force

b : a branch of physical science that deals with the physical relations between electricity and magnetism

Examples of electromagnetism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This was the first observation of particles that communicate a force since scientists recognized photons of light as the carriers of electromagnetism. — Quanta Magazine, "Three Major Physics Discoveries and Counting," 18 July 2018 Unlike conventional guns that use chemical energy (gunpowder) to force a projectile out of a barrel and towards a target, railguns rely on electromagnetism. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "China’s Railgun Has Reportedly Gone to Sea," 31 Dec. 2018 Ford incorporates a slew of new technologies, including the vaunted electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), which uses electromagnetism instead of traditional steam to launch aircraft from the flight deck. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "First of Its Class, America's Newest Aircraft Carrier Is Underway at Sea," 10 Apr. 2017 His attention shifted to trying to unify his version of gravity with electromagnetism. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Gravitational waves and the slow pace of scientific revolutions," 30 June 2018 It was left to Michael Faraday, in the first half of the 19th century, to define the modern understanding of electromagnetism. — Charles R. Morris, WSJ, "‘Energy’ Review: The Path to Power," 21 June 2018 The firm formerly known as Dong, for Danish Oil and Natural Gas, is now Ørsted, a big wind firm named after the founder of electromagnetism. — The Economist, "Royal Dutch Shell and Total flirt with becoming utilities," 28 Mar. 2018 Soon after developing general relativity, Einstein began to wonder if there might be a wave associated with gravity as there is with electromagnetism. — NBC News, "Einstein made his share of errors. Here are three of the biggest," 14 Mar. 2018 Electric guitars work because of electromagnetism: The pickups on a guitar, which are transducers, receive the mechanical vibrations of the strings and turn them into an electric current. — Rachel Z. Arndt, Popular Mechanics, "Play Guitar Through Your Computer Speakers," 16 Sep. 2013

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electromagnetism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.