physicist

noun

phys·​i·​cist ˈfi-zə-sist How to pronounce physicist (audio)
ˈfiz-sist
1
: a specialist in physics
2
archaic : a person skilled in natural science

Examples of physicist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Opposite Murphy, Downey Jr.’s Admiral Lewis Strauss serves as J. Robert Oppenheimer’s primary antagonist as the physicist navigates the moral and emotional dilemmas of creating the atomic bomb. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Four out of the five films nominated feature historical settings, the most recent of those being Oppenheimer’s conclusion in the early 1960s, when the physicist is granted a medal by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Liam Hess, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 Some physicists saw their success as a moral failure. Kc Cole, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Sakharov, of course, was one of the outstanding physicists of his age. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 29 Feb. 2024 Half Life Of course, that’s just an alpha decay, which physicists can already detect. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 So here are some other places to visit: Altadena’s Mountain View, 60 foothill acres, with my favorites, Caltech physicist Richard Feynman, the Black sci-fi author Octavia Butler, and quirkiest of all, a-moldering in his grave, Owen Brown. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 And the universe remains largely incomprehensible to even our best theoretical physicists. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Build Bridges Between Technology And Science Foster interdisciplinary collaboration by encouraging teams to work closely with quantum physicists and mathematicians. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'physicist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of physicist was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near physicist

Cite this Entry

“Physicist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physicist. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

physicist

noun
phys·​i·​cist ˈfiz-(ə-)səst How to pronounce physicist (audio)
: a specialist in physics

Medical Definition

physicist

noun
phys·​i·​cist ˈfiz-(ə-)səst How to pronounce physicist (audio)
: a specialist in physics

More from Merriam-Webster on physicist

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