excited state

noun

: a state of a physical system (such as an atomic nucleus, an atom, or a molecule) that is higher in energy than the ground state

Examples of excited state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Turning excited atoms into radio detectors At the heart of the system are Rydberg atoms, atoms whose electrons have been pushed into extremely excited states using lasers. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 May 2026 Gamma rays are produced only when particles from these two states collide and annihilate—which means some of the dark matter must be in the excited state in the first place. Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026 The first step was to determine exactly how much energy is needed to push the thorium-229 nucleus into its excited state. Andrei Derevianko, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026 In 2015, a nuclear physics experiment gave results that seemed to conflict with the very specific predictions for what should happen when an unstable beryllium-8 nucleus is created in an excited state. Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excited state

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of excited state was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Excited state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excited%20state. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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