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
Examples of seismic in a Sentence
Seismic social changes have occurred.
Recent Examples on the Web
Earthquakes are recorded by a network of seismic stations that measure the movement of the ground, according to the USGS.
—
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
Those on the West Coast, who have more experience with earthquakes, joked about East Coasters' first time experiencing a seismic event.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
That's because the rocks in the Earth's crust in the east are older and more rigid, causing seismic energy to travel more efficiently, according to the agency.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
That drama now appears relatively minor when compared to the seismic event that McDaniel’s ouster has wrought.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Damage to buildings typically begins to occur at around VII on the scale, according to Ron Hamburger, one of the country’s leading structural engineers who specializes in seismic safety.
—Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Going up one whole number on the scale indicates the ground motion recorded by seismic equipment increased by a factor of 10.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
But in a triumph of modern engineering, the soaring Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest skyscraper, emerged from the island’s latest seismic event undamaged.
—Oscar Holland, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The area sits along seismic fault lines within the Ring of Fire, where most of the planet’s quakes occur.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
Those on the West Coast, who have more experience with earthquakes, joked about East Coasters' first time experiencing a seismic event.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
That's because the rocks in the Earth's crust in the east are older and more rigid, causing seismic energy to travel more efficiently, according to the agency.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
That drama now appears relatively minor when compared to the seismic event that McDaniel’s ouster has wrought.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Damage to buildings typically begins to occur at around VII on the scale, according to Ron Hamburger, one of the country’s leading structural engineers who specializes in seismic safety.
—Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Going up one whole number on the scale indicates the ground motion recorded by seismic equipment increased by a factor of 10.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
But in a triumph of modern engineering, the soaring Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest skyscraper, emerged from the island’s latest seismic event undamaged.
—Oscar Holland, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The area sits along seismic fault lines within the Ring of Fire, where most of the planet’s quakes occur.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seismic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near seismic
Cite this Entry
“Seismic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seismic. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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)
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