radioactive
adjective
ra·dio·ac·tive
ˌrā-dē-ō-ˈak-tiv 
1
: of, caused by, or exhibiting radioactivity
radioactive isotopes
Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that arises naturally from the ground because of the decay of radioactive elements commonly found in rocks and many types of soil. In a chain of radioactive decay, uranium produces radium, which gives off radon, which in turn produces radioactive breakdown products that are harmful if inhaled.—
Warren E. Leary
Warren E. Leary2
: so divisive or controversial as to require avoidance
He has been deemed radioactive by most charitable organizations … and organized competition, even local stuff, is largely closed off to him.—Asher Price
Asher PriceAlmost all women—and therefore men—use a form of birth control at some point in their lives, yet contraception is so politically and legally radioactive that legislators and pharmaceutical companies avoid funding it.—Karen Weise
Karen WeiseSubsequent polling data show that the quota issue is perhaps the most powerful one in our politics … A House Democratic aide says, "The quota issue is radioactive." The result has been nothing less than panic in the Democratic ranks.—Elizabeth Drew
Elizabeth Drew
radioactively
adverb
Plutonium is the only one of these transuranic elements that can exist a fair amount of time before radioactively decaying into lighter elements.
—James Kaler
James Kaler
Examples of radioactive in a Sentence
Uranium and plutonium are radioactive.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cancer cells absorb large amounts of sugar, absorbing the radioactive material.
—Doru Paul, Health, 10 Jan. 2025
All rocks contain little internal clocks—radioactive elements that decay and allow researchers to tell how old the rock is.
—Francis Nimmo, JSTOR Daily, 9 Jan. 2025
The base was contaminated with a toxic mix of chemicals and radioactive material left over from its years under Soviet rule.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Further downstream, the mussels found a way to tolerate the salinity and radioactive materials and instead absorbed them into their shells and tissues.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for radioactive 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Doru Paul, Health, 10 Jan. 2025
All rocks contain little internal clocks—radioactive elements that decay and allow researchers to tell how old the rock is.
—Francis Nimmo, JSTOR Daily, 9 Jan. 2025
The base was contaminated with a toxic mix of chemicals and radioactive material left over from its years under Soviet rule.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Further downstream, the mussels found a way to tolerate the salinity and radioactive materials and instead absorbed them into their shells and tissues.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for radioactive
Articles Related to radioactive
Dictionary Entries Near radioactive
Cite this Entry
“Radioactive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radioactive. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
radioactive
adjective
ra·dio·ac·tive
ˌrād-ē-ō-ˈak-tiv
: of, caused by, or exhibiting radioactivity
radioactively
adverb
Medical Definition
radioactive
adjective
ra·dio·ac·tive
ˌrād-ē-ō-ˈak-tiv
: of, caused by, or exhibiting radioactivity
radioactive isotopes
radioactively
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share