nuclear
/ˈnjuːkliə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnuːkliər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnü-klē-ər ˈnyü- nonstandard -kyə-lər/ (ame, mw)
nuclear — adjective
- nuclearpositive
- more nuclearcomparative
- most nuclearsuperlative
1. relating to the process of creating usable energy by splitting the central part
relating to the process of creating usable energy by splitting the central part of an atom (fission) or by joining two atomic centres together (fusion)
Roya's village gets its electricity from a nuclear power station built in 2015.
collocation: nuclear power station
France produces about seventy percent of its electricity from nuclear energy.
collocation: nuclear energy
Several countries are now investing in small nuclear reactors that cost less to build.
Nuclear waste from power plants remains dangerously radioactive for thousands of years.
The debate over whether to open new nuclear plants often divides local communities.
- atomic
broader in meaning; 'atomic energy' can refer to any energy from atoms, while 'nuclear energy' specifically refers to reactions in the nucleus
- thermonuclear
more specific; refers only to fusion reactions (e.g. a hydrogen bomb or fusion reactor), not general nuclear power
文法句型
nuclear + noun
用法筆記
This sense is always used before a noun — you cannot say 'The energy is nuclear' to mean it comes from nuclear sources. The noun itself (e.g. power, energy, reactor) carries the specific meaning.
常見錯誤
2. relating to bombs, missiles, and other arms that cause enormous explosions by re
relating to bombs, missiles, and other arms that cause enormous explosions by releasing energy from the centre of an atom, often with long-lasting radioactive effects
The international treaty aims to stop the spread of nuclear weapons to more countries.
collocation: nuclear weapons
Hui's grandfather worked as a physicist on early nuclear bomb projects during the 1940s.
collocation: nuclear bomb
North Korea carried out a series of nuclear tests in 2017 that alarmed the entire region.
During the Cold War both superpowers kept large nuclear arsenals ready to launch at any moment.
A nuclear attack would destroy entire cities and leave the land poisoned for generations.
- atomic
historically used for early nuclear bombs ('atomic bomb'), but 'nuclear' is now the standard term in modern military contexts
- thermonuclear
refers specifically to hydrogen bombs that use fusion; a subset of nuclear weapons
- conventional
refers to weapons that do not use nuclear reactions (e.g. regular bombs, guns)
文法句型
nuclear + noun
用法筆記
Frequently paired with nouns describing the weapon itself (bomb, warhead, missile), the act of using it (test, attack, strike), or related policy (deterrent, proliferation, disarmament). Can also describe a country's status: 'a nuclear power' means a country that possesses nuclear weapons, not one that produces nuclear energy.
常見錯誤
3. belonging to or having to do with the dense, positively charged centre of an ato
belonging to or having to do with the dense, positively charged centre of an atom, which contains protons and neutrons
In science class, Ezra learned that nuclear fission happens when a neutron strikes the centre of a uranium atom.
collocation: nuclear fission
Nuclear physics is the branch of science that studies the behaviour of particles inside the atom's centre.
collocation: nuclear physics
The research team measured the nuclear mass of each isotope using a particle accelerator in their lab.
Nuclear fusion powers the sun by joining hydrogen atoms together under extreme heat and pressure.
文法句型
nuclear + noun
用法筆記
This is the purely scientific sense, distinct from sense 1 (energy production) and sense 2 (weapons). It describes the properties of the atomic nucleus itself — size, structure, behaviour — rather than the practical applications of nuclear reactions. Terms like 'nuclear fission' and 'nuclear fusion' bridge this sense and sense 1; the context determines which meaning is intended.
常見錯誤
4. forming the most important or essential part around which everything else in a g
forming the most important or essential part around which everything else in a group or system is organised
The nuclear family of two parents and their children is still common in many parts of the world.
collocation: nuclear family
Reema's plan contained a nuclear idea from which all the other details followed naturally.
figurative use: nuclear idea
In the novel, the town square serves as the nuclear setting around which every character's life turns.
The nuclear question at the heart of the debate was who should control the region's water supply.
- peripheral
describes something on the edges of a system, not at its centre
文法句型
nuclear + noun
用法筆記
This is a figurative, less common use of 'nuclear'. Outside of the fixed phrase 'nuclear family', it is usually clearer to use 'core', 'central', or 'key' instead. Reserve this sense for contexts where the metaphor of a nucleus (something at the centre that holds everything else in place) fits naturally.