Meanings
nounradioactive decay (countable and uncountable, plural radioactive decays)
plural radioactive decays
- countableuncountablenuclear physicsAny of several processes by which unstable nuclei emit subatomic particles and/or ionizing radiation and disintegrate into one or more other nuclei.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation
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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Czech radioaktivní rozpad
- radioaktivní rozpadphysical process
Danish radioaktivt henfald
- radioaktivt henfaldphysical process
Finnish hajoaminen
- hajoaminenphysical process
German radioaktiver Zerfall
- radioaktiver Zerfallphysical process
Indonesian peluruhan radioaktif
- peluruhan radioaktifphysical process
Malay reputan radioaktif
- reputan radioaktifphysical process
Polish rozpad jądrowy
- rozpad jądrowyphysical process
Portuguese decaimento radioativo, decaimento radiativo
- decaimento radioativophysical process
- decaimento radiativophysical process
Spanish decaimiento radiactivo
- decaimiento radiactivophysical process
Swedish radioaktivt sönderfall, sönderfall
- radioaktivt sönderfallphysical process
- sönderfallphysical process
Turkish radyoaktif bozunum, radyoaktif parçalanma
- radyoaktif bozunumphysical process
- radyoaktif parçalanmaphysical process
Ukrainian радіоакти́вний ро́зпад
- радіоакти́вний ро́зпад (radioaktývnyj rózpad)physical process
Cite this entry
APA
radioactive decay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/radioactive%20decay
MLA
“radioactive decay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/radioactive%20decay. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “radioactive decay,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/radioactive%20decay.
Source: radioactive decay on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.