fusion

noun

fu·​sion ˈfyü-zhᵊn 

often attributive

1

: the act or process of liquefying or rendering plastic by heat

2

: a union by or as if by melting: such as

a

: a merging of diverse, distinct, or separate elements into a unified whole

Opera is a fusion of several arts.

b

: a political partnership : coalition

… a fusion of Democrats and independent Republicans …

—New York Times

c

: popular music combining different styles (such as jazz and rock)

d

: food prepared using techniques and ingredients of two or more ethnic or regional cuisines

a restaurant that specializes in Japanese-Peruvian fusion

called also fusion cuisine

3

: the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite

nuclear fusion

Synonyms of fusion

• mixture
• amalgamation
• amalgam
• blend
• mix
• alloy
• combination
• synthesis

Examples of fusion in a Sentence

a fusion of different methods

a fusion of musical styles

The show is a fusion of news and entertainment.

The fusion of different cultural influences is evident in her sculpture.

Recent Examples on the Web

To tackle this problem, the team behind the new material used a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy shaped via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), an extremely precise form of metal 3D printing. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026

The lounge will replace Alice, an Asian fusion restaurant and bar that was open since 2018. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026

The country is also building nuclear power plants and pursuing an aggressive program to get fusion energy up and running — a near-limitless source of clean energy. —Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026

His sendoff Sunday will open San Jose Jazz’s Winter Series featuring Zheniia, Jthe Persian/jazz fusion project from Leela Paymai, and pianist Arnie Sainz. —Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin fūsiōn-, fūsiō "process of pouring, casting of molten metal," going back to Latin, "process of pouring, effusion," from fud-, variant stem of fundere "to pour, shed, cast (liquid metal)" (Medieval Latin also, "to melt down, make liquid") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at found entry 5

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fusion

• nuclear fusion

Rhymes for fusion

• allusion
• collusion
• conclusion
• confusion
• contusion
• delusion
• diffusion
• effusion
• exclusion
• extrusion
• illusion
• inclusion

Kids Definition

fusion

noun

fu·​sion ˈfyü-zhən 

1

: the act or process of melting or making fluid by heat

2

: union by or as if by melting

3

: the union of light atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy

Medical Definition

fusion

noun

fu·​sion ˈfyü-zhən 

often attributive

1

a

: the act or process of liquefying or rendering plastic by heat

b

: the liquid or plastic state induced by heat

2

: a union by or as if by melting together: as

a

: a merging of diverse elements into a unified whole

specifically : the blending of retinal images in binocular vision

b

: a combination of ingredients achieved by heating and mixing together

c

(1)

: a blend of sensations, perceptions, ideas, or attitudes such that the component elements can seldom be identified by introspective analysis

(2)

: the perception of light from a source that is intermittent above a critical frequency as if the source were continuous

called also flicker fusion

compare flicker

d

: the surgical immobilization of a joint see spinal fusion

3

: the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite

called also nuclear fusion

fusional

-ᵊl 

adjective