atomic theory

1. 1.

   a theory of the structure of the atom

   Broaderscientific theory

   NarrowerBohr theoryRutherford atom

   Part ofnuclear physics
2. 2.

   (chemistry) any theory in which all matter is composed of tiny discrete finite indivisible indestructible particles

   “the ancient Greek philosophers Democritus and Epicurus held atomic theories of the universe”

   Synonymsatomismatomist theoryatomistic theory

   Broadertheory

   chemistry

Questions about atomic theory

What does atomic theory mean?

atomic theory means "a theory of the structure of the atom". That is the primary sense; the word has 2 in total, listed in full on this page.

What is another word for atomic theory?

Close synonyms include atomism, atomist theory, atomistic theory. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is atomic theory a common word?

atomic theory is banded "Uncommon" — turns up in careful writing rather than conversation. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.