seismic

adjective

seis·​mic ˈsīz-mik 

ˈsīs-

1

: of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake

also : of or relating to an earth vibration caused by something else (such as an explosion or the impact of a meteorite)

2

: of or relating to a vibration on a celestial body (such as the moon) comparable to a seismic event on earth

3

: having a strong or widespread impact : earthshaking

seismic social changes

seismically

ˈsīz-mi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of seismic in a Sentence

Seismic social changes have occurred.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet the term actually dates back to the Covid-19 pandemic, when the seismic impact from widespread shutdowns was just coming into focus and economists all over the world began straining to predict what an eventual recovery would look like. —Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026

What if there was seismic activity? —Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

On the contrary, large parts of the globe are quite densely dotted with seismic sensors designed to detect earthquakes, and those measurements are mostly openly available online. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026

This breakthrough, which earned Isomorphic founder Demis Hassabis a Nobel Prize in 2024, offered the first seismic proof that AI could compress biological research processes that once took years into mere minutes. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek seismos shock, earthquake, from seiein to shake; probably akin to Avestan thwaēshō fear

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing seismic

• seismic shift

Kids Definition

seismic

adjective

seis·​mic ˈsīz-mik 

ˈsīs-

: of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake or an earth vibration caused by something else (as an explosion)