radioactive

[rey-dee-oh-ak-tiv]

adjective

1. Physics, Chemistry.,  of, relating to, exhibiting, or caused by radioactivity.

   A pressing issue in post-Soviet Russia is safe long-term storage of radioactive waste, from both military and civilian applications.

2. relating to or being a person, topic, or matter that is likely to provoke intense negative reactions or disagreement.

   The option of raising taxes to fund these expenditures is a politically radioactive approach that a majority of state policymakers have avoided.

radioactive

/ ˌreɪdɪəʊˈæktɪv /

adjective

1. exhibiting, using, or concerned with radioactivity

radioactive

1. A descriptive term for a material made up of atoms in which radioactivity occurs.

Other Word Forms

• radioactively adverb
• nonradioactive adjective
• unradioactive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of radioactive¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; radio- + active

Example Sentences

In comic books, falling into something radioactive is the best thing that can happen to you.

From Salon

Food and Drug Administration is warning people to avoid eating certain raw frozen shrimp sold in Walmart stores as the agency investigates possible contamination by Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.

From Los Angeles Times

One shipment tested positive for Cesium-137, the radioactive form of the chemical element Cesium.

From BBC

To address concerns about the safety of nuclear power and radioactive waste, Oregon lawmakers created the Nuclear and Thermal Energy Council.

From Salon

"Also, you've got residues and wastes that you have to deal with out of this industry, and that's problematic. They often produce radioactive materials. It comes at a cost."

From BBC

Related Words

• contaminated www.thesaurus.com
• dangerous 
• hot 

When To Use

What does radioactive mean?

Radioactive describes something that exhibits or is caused by radioactivity. If something is radioactive, it emits radiation, which usually takes the form of electromagnetic waves or fast-moving elementary particles, such as protons or neutrons.While low doses of radiation are usually harmless, being exposed to large amounts of radiation will most likely kill you. For this reason, highly radioactive materials are often considered very dangerous and will only be handled by experts.Example: The radioactive waste produced by nuclear power plants can damage the environment.