physicist

phy·sic·ist
P3H4Y4S1I1C3I1S1T1
US, UK/ˈfɪzɪsɪst/

noun

A person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics, especially at a professional level.

Less commonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nounphysicist (plural physicists)

plural physicists

  1. A person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics, especially at a professional level.

    Thus we may say, that while the Naturalist employs principally the ideas of resemblance and life, the Physicist proceeds upon the ideas of force, matter, and the properties of matter.

    1840, William Whewell, “Aphorisms Concerning the Language of Science. Aphorism VI. When Common Words are Appropriated as Technical Terms, this Must be Done so that They are Not Ambiguous in Their Application.”, in The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Founded upon Their History. […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […]; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: J. and J. J. Deighton, →OCLC, page lxxi
    1 more example

    Physicists find themselves called in to deal with such varied problems as the reduction of noise in diesel railcars, investigation of the Hertzian stresses set up by wheel-rail contact and improvement of the insulation of fish and banana vans.

    1961 February, R. K. Evans, “The role of research on British Railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 95
  2. archaicA believer in the theory that the fundamental phenomena of life are to be explained upon purely chemical and physical principles (opposed to vitalist).

Origin

From physics + -ist. Coined by the English polymath William Whewell (1794–1866) in his book The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences (1840): see the quotation.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans fisikus
  • fisikusperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Arabic فِيزِيَائِيّ, فِيزِيَائِيَّة
  • فِيزِيَائِيّ (fīziyāʔiyy)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • فِيزِيَائِيَّة (fīziyāʔiyya)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Basque fisikari
  • fisikariperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Bulgarian физи́к, физи́чка
  • физи́к (fizík)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • физи́чка (fizíčka)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Catalan físic, física
  • físicperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • físicaperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Chinese Mandarin 物理學家 /物理学家
  • 物理學家 /物理学家 (wùlǐxuéjiā)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Czech fyzik
  • fyzikperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Danish fysiker
  • fysikerperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Dutch natuurkundige, fysicus
  • natuurkundigeperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • fysicusperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Esperanto fizikisto
  • fizikistoperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Estonian füüsik
  • füüsikperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Finnish fyysikko
  • fyysikkoperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
French physicien m physicienne
  • physicien m physicienneperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
German Physiker, Physikerin
  • Physikerperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • Physikerinperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Greek φυσικός
  • φυσικός (fysikós)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Hebrew פִיזִיקַאי
  • פִיזִיקַאי (fizikái)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Hindi भौतिक विज्ञानी, भौतिकविद्
  • भौतिक विज्ञानी (bhautik vijñānī)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • भौतिकविद् (bhautikvid)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • भौतिक शास्त्री (bhautik śāstrī)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Hungarian fizikus
  • fizikusperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Icelandic eðlisfræðingur
  • eðlisfræðingurperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Irish fisiceoir, fisicí
  • fisiceoirperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • fisicíperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Italian fisico, fisica
  • fisicoperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • fisicaperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Japanese 物理学者
  • 物理学者 (butsurigakusha)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Korean 물리학자
  • 물리학자 (mullihakja)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Latvian fiziķis, fiziķe
  • fiziķisperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • fiziķeperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Lithuanian fizikas, fizikė
  • fizikasperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • fizikėperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Malay ahli fizik
  • ahli fizikperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Norwegian Bokmål fysiker
  • fysikerperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Persian فیزیکدان, فیزیکدان
  • فیزیکدان (fizik-dân)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • فیزیکدان (fizikdân)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Polish fizyk
  • fizykperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Portuguese físico, física
  • físicoperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • físicaperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Romanian fizician, fiziciană
  • fizicianperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • fizicianăperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Russian фи́зик
  • фи́зик (fízik)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Slovak fyzik
  • fyzikperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Spanish físico, física
  • físicoperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • físicaperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Swahili mwanafizikia
  • mwanafizikiaperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Swedish fysiker
  • fysikerperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Tagalog liknayanon
  • liknayanonperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Thai นักฟิสิกส์
  • นักฟิสิกส์ (nák-fí-sìk)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Turkish fizikçi
  • fizikçiperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Ukrainian фі́зик
  • фі́зик (fízyk)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Vietnamese nhà vật lí
  • nhà vật líperson whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Yiddish פֿיזיקער, פֿיזיקערין
  • פֿיזיקער (fiziker)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
  • פֿיזיקערין (fizikerin)person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics
Cite this entry
APA

physicist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/physicist

MLA

“physicist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/physicist. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “physicist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/physicist.

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