particle
noun
par·ti·cle
ˈpär-ti-kəl 
1
a
: a minute quantity or fragment
b
: a relatively small or the smallest discrete portion or amount of something
2
archaic
: a clause or article of a composition or document
3
: any of the basic units of matter and energy (such as a molecule, atom, proton, electron, or photon)
4
: a unit of speech expressing some general aspect of meaning or some connective or limiting relation and including the articles, most prepositions and conjunctions, and some interjections and adverbs
the particle up has a perfective meaning in phrases such as beat up and cut up
5
: a small eucharistic wafer distributed to a Roman Catholic layman at Communion
Examples of particle in a Sentence
There is not a particle of evidence to support their claim.
There is not a particle of truth in what he said.
The phrasal verb “look up” consists of the verb “look” and the adverbial particle “up.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Dementia patients have been found to have three to five times more plastic particles in their brains than those without cognitive impairment.
—
Bill Frist, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
The tiny plastic particles have been found in the ocean breeze, soil and even our brains.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
These particles travel through space at speeds close to 1 million mph, and upon reaching Earth, interact with our planet's magnetic field.
—Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025
In most everyday situations, this mismatch between the two theories doesn’t cause problems because general relativity applies to large objects (planets, stars, galaxies), and quantum theory applies to tiny particles (atoms, photons).
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for particle
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Bill Frist, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
The tiny plastic particles have been found in the ocean breeze, soil and even our brains.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
These particles travel through space at speeds close to 1 million mph, and upon reaching Earth, interact with our planet's magnetic field.
—Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025
In most everyday situations, this mismatch between the two theories doesn’t cause problems because general relativity applies to large objects (planets, stars, galaxies), and quantum theory applies to tiny particles (atoms, photons).
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for particle
Cite this Entry
“Particle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/particle. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
particle
noun
par·ti·cle
ˈpärt-i-kəl
1
: one of the very small parts of matter (as a molecule, atom, or electron)
2
: a very small quantity or piece
3
: the smallest possible portion
Medical Definition
particle
noun
par·ti·cle
ˈpärt-i-kəl
1
: one of the minute subdivisions of matter (as an atom or molecule)
also
: elementary particle
2
: a minute quantity or fragment
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