1
: of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake
also
: of or relating to an earth vibration caused by something else (such as an explosion or the impact of a meteorite)
2
: of or relating to a vibration on a celestial body (such as the moon) comparable to a seismic event on earth
3
: having a strong or widespread impact : earthshaking
seismic social changes
Examples of seismic in a Sentence
Seismic social changes have occurred.
Recent Examples on the Web
Realignments are seismic, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt creating the New Deal coalition, or the departure of Black Americans from the Republican Party during the Civil Rights era.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
The East Coast is also less broken up by fault lines, which could interrupt seismic waves, than the West Coast is.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
The unresolved angst facing HCA was clear at a recent San Jose Planning Commission meeting, where the advisory body recommended that the City Council deny its request to rezone Good Samaritan’s campus to build a new facility in compliance with state seismic laws and expand operations.
—Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
The big picture: The broadcast resurgence is part of a seismic sports media shift that's taking the industry back to the 1980s.
—Madalyn Mendoza, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seismic 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
The East Coast is also less broken up by fault lines, which could interrupt seismic waves, than the West Coast is.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
The unresolved angst facing HCA was clear at a recent San Jose Planning Commission meeting, where the advisory body recommended that the City Council deny its request to rezone Good Samaritan’s campus to build a new facility in compliance with state seismic laws and expand operations.
—Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
The big picture: The broadcast resurgence is part of a seismic sports media shift that's taking the industry back to the 1980s.
—Madalyn Mendoza, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for seismic
Dictionary Entries Near seismic
Cite this Entry
“Seismic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seismic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
seismic
adjective
seis·mic
ˈsīz-mik 
ˈsīs-
: of, subject to, or caused by an earthquake or an earth vibration caused by something else (as an explosion)
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