antiparticle(s)
|an-ti-par-ti-cle|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈpɑr.tɪ.kəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˈpɑː.tɪ.kəl/
(antiparticle)
opposite counterpart of a particle
Etymology
'antiparticle' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against' or 'opposite') and 'particle' from Latin 'particula' (a diminutive of 'pars' meaning 'part').
'antiparticle' was coined in the early 20th century as a compound of the productive prefix 'anti-' and the established noun 'particle' in the context of developing concepts like 'antimatter' and quantum theory, becoming the standard modern English term 'antiparticle'.
Initially coined to denote the counterpart of a particle with opposite charge or quantum numbers, the term's core meaning has remained stable and continues to denote that counterpart in modern physics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a particle that has the same mass as a given particle but opposite electric charge and other quantum numbers (so that particle + antiparticle can annihilate); e.g., the positron is the antiparticle of the electron.
In particle physics, every particle has a corresponding antiparticle(s) that may annihilate when they meet.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/11 21:24