seismology

1 of 2

noun (1)

seis·​mol·​o·​gy sīz-ˈmä-lə-jē How to pronounce seismology (audio)
sīs-
: a science that deals with earthquakes and with artificially produced vibrations of the earth
seismological adjective
or less commonly seismologic
seismologist noun

seismologist

2 of 2

noun (2)

seis·​mol·​o·​gist
plural -s
: a geophysicist who specializes in seismology : seismographer

Examples of seismology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The event influenced Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and helped push early ideas in seismology. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026 The country’s seismology agency, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the quake hit off the shores of General Santos City in Sarangani province, the southernmost tip of the Mindanao island. Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 8 June 2026 However, seismology won’t be enough by itself. Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026 Here, too, seismology offers another silver bullet. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seismology

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of seismology was in 1858

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Cite this Entry

“Seismology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seismology. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

seismology

noun
seis·​mol·​o·​gy sīz-ˈmäl-ə-jē How to pronounce seismology (audio)
sīs-
: a science that deals with earthquakes and with artificially produced vibrations of the earth
seismological adjective
seismologist noun

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