What does "radiation" mean?
The shooting forth of anything from a point or surface, like diverging rays of light.
Radiation
/ˌɹæɪ.diˈæɪ.ʃən/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The shooting forth of anything from a point or surface, like diverging rays of light.
- Grammar: radiation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: irradiation, actinic ray, actinism, actinotherapy.
- Useful contrasts: conductive heat transfer, thermal conduction, absorption.
- Usage evidence: The smaller the body, the more likely the person will suffer from the ill effects of radiation.
How to use "radiation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "radiation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "radiation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "radiation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "radiation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "radiation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "irradiation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "radiation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The shooting forth of anything from a point or surface, like diverging rays of light. countable, uncountable
"The radiation of love from the crowd was addictive to the young singer-songwriters."
- 2 (medicine) the treatment of disease (especially cancer) by exposure to a radioactive substance wordnet
- 3 The shooting forth of anything from a point or surface, like diverging rays of light.; Ellipsis of electromagnetic radiation. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, often, uncountable
"heat radiation"
- 4 the act of spreading outward from a central source wordnet
- 5 The process of radiating waves or particles. countable, uncountable
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a radial arrangement of nerve fibers connecting different parts of the brain wordnet
- 7 The transfer of energy via radiation. countable, uncountable
- 8 the spread of a group of organisms into new habitats wordnet
- 9 Radioactive energy. countable, uncountable
"It's Christmas at ground zero / And if the radiation level's OK / I'll go out with you / To see all the new / Mutations on New Year's Day"
- 10 energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles wordnet
- 11 A rapid diversification of an ancestral species into many new forms. countable
"So the question is: have plants and animals retained over this huge amount of time—whole radiations of mammals have come and gone in this period—have they retained these potentially costly characteristics?"
- 12 the spontaneous emission of a stream of particles or electromagnetic rays in nuclear decay wordnet
- 13 syndrome resulting from exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g., exposure to radioactive chemicals or to nuclear explosions); low doses cause diarrhea and nausea and vomiting and sometimes loss of hair; greater exposure can cause sterility and cataracts and some forms of cancer and other diseases; severe exposure can cause death within hours wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The smaller the body, the more likely the person will suffer from the ill effects of radiation."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "radiation"?
Common synonyms include: irradiation, actinic ray, actinism, actinotherapy, activity, afterglows.
How do you use "radiation" in a sentence?
The smaller the body, the more likely the person will suffer from the ill effects of radiation.
How do you pronounce "radiation"?
Pronounced /ˌɹæɪ.diˈæɪ.ʃən/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin radiatio, radiationis. By surface analysis, radiate + -ion.