physics

noun

phys·​ics ˈfi-ziks 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

: a science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions

2

a

: the physical processes and phenomena of a particular system

b

: the physical properties and composition of something

Examples of physics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The shooter was soon identified as a former physics classmate thought to have been jealous of Loureiro’s success. —Faye Flam, Scientific American, 7 May 2026

What all of this means is that the laws of physics don’t require the existence of an aether. —Big Think, 7 May 2026

In February 2024, professor Asaf Peer, an Israeli from Bar Ilan University, attempted to give a physics lecture at UNLV. —Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026

While electricity plays a central role, lightning bolts are formed and shaped by the whole physics canon — from cosmic blasts to particle physics. —Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin physica, plural, natural science, from Greek physika, from neuter plural of physikos of nature, from physis growth, nature, from phyein to bring forth — more at be

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing physics

• high-energy physics
• particle physics

Rhymes for physics

• astrophysics
• geophysics
• metaphysics
• tectonophysics

Kids Definition

physics

noun

phys·​ics ˈfiz-iks 

1

: a science that deals with matter and energy and their actions upon each other in the fields of mechanics, heat, light, electricity, sound, and the atomic nucleus

2

: physical composition, characteristics, or processes

the physics of sound

Medical Definition

physics

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

phys·​ics ˈfiz-iks 

: a science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions in the fields of mechanics, acoustics, optics, heat, electricity, magnetism, radiation, atomic structure, and nuclear phenomena