plate tectonics
noun
plural in form but singular in construction
1
: a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of plates which float on and travel independently over the mantle and much of the earth's seismic activity occurs at the boundaries of these plates
2
: the process and dynamics of tectonic plate movement
also
: a similar process on a body other than earth compare continental drift
Examples of plate tectonics in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No one knows, however, how or when plate tectonics got started on Earth in the first place.
—
Marissa Grunes, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026
Our new study, published in the journal Communications, Earth and Environment sheds light on how exactly Earth's plate tectonics have helped to shape global climate over the past 540 million years.
—Ben Mather, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The modern understanding of the Ring of Fire emerged with the theory of plate tectonics in the 1960s, which explained the region’s intense seismic and volcanic activity as the result of shifting tectonic plates.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
But over 4 billion years ago, there was no plate tectonics, and Earth was chemically much more simple.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
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Marissa Grunes, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026
Our new study, published in the journal Communications, Earth and Environment sheds light on how exactly Earth's plate tectonics have helped to shape global climate over the past 540 million years.
—Ben Mather, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The modern understanding of the Ring of Fire emerged with the theory of plate tectonics in the 1960s, which explained the region’s intense seismic and volcanic activity as the result of shifting tectonic plates.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
But over 4 billion years ago, there was no plate tectonics, and Earth was chemically much more simple.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plate tectonics
Cite this Entry
“Plate tectonics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plate%20tectonics. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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