antiparticle

noun

an·​ti·​par·​ti·​cle
ˈan-tē-ˌpär-ti-kəl,
ˈan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antiparticle (audio)
: a subatomic particle identical to another subatomic particle in mass but opposite to it in electric and magnetic properties (such as sign of charge) that when brought together with its counterpart produces mutual annihilation
especially : a subatomic particle not found in ordinary matter

Examples of antiparticle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s a very real possibility that neutrinos are also their own antiparticles. Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 11 June 2024 But through some very complex and exceedingly technical processes, a particle that is its own antiparticle can acquire a mass. Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 11 June 2024 If dark matter particles are also their own antiparticles, as many dark matter theories posit, then within these collapsing clouds, those particles would have collided with one another and self-annihilated. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 20 July 2023 The standard model describes how these particles and their antiparticles interact through three forces: electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force that binds quarks, and the weak nuclear force that enables quarks and other particles to decay and change type. Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for antiparticle 

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antiparticle was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near antiparticle

Cite this Entry

“Antiparticle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiparticle. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

antiparticle

noun
an·​ti·​par·​ti·​cle ˈant-i-ˌpärt-i-kəl How to pronounce antiparticle (audio)
ˈan-ˌtī-
: an elementary particle identical to another elementary particle in mass but opposite to it in electric or magnetic properties

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