autoionize

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verb

To spontaneously transition from an electrically neutral state to a lower-energy ionized state

OriginEnglish ionize ← Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

verbautoionize (third-person singular simple present autoionizes, present participle autoionizing, simple past and past participle autoionized)

present singular third person autoionizes · participle present autoionizing · participle past autoionized · past autoionized · alternative autoionise

  1. natural sciencesTo spontaneously transition from an electrically neutral state to a lower-energy ionized state

Origin

  1. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  3. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  4. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  5. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  6. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  7. Englishauto-
  8. Englishionize
  9. Englishautoionize

From auto- + ionize.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

autoionize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoionize

MLA

“autoionize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoionize. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autoionize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoionize.

Source: autoionize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.