Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Exhibiting or caused by radioactivity: Describes a substance or material that emits radiation as a result of the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei. This property is inherent to certain unstable isotopes.
   • Containing or relating to radioactive substances: Pertaining to materials that are radioactive or to phenomena resulting from radioactivity.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • The laboratory handles radioactive materials with extreme care. (This describes materials that emit radiation.)
  • Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element. (This identifies an element with the property of radioactivity.)
  • The area was contaminated by radioactive fallout after the accident. (This describes fallout caused by radioactive decay.)

Advanced Usage

• "radioactive decay": The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.
  • Scientists study the rate of radioactive decay to date ancient artifacts.
• "radioactive isotope" (or radioisotope): An isotope of an element that is unstable and undergoes radioactive decay.
  • Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope used in radiocarbon dating.
• "radioactive waste": Unwanted radioactive materials that are byproducts of nuclear processes.
  • The safe disposal of radioactive waste is a major challenge.

Variants and Related Words

• Radioactivity (noun): The property or phenomenon exhibited by radioactive substances.
  • The radioactivity of the sample was measured in becquerels.
• Radioactively (adverb): In a radioactive manner; by means of radioactivity.
  • The site was radioactively contaminated.

Synonyms

• Hot (informal, especially in scientific contexts): Highly radioactive.
• Active (in specific technical contexts, e.g., "active waste"): Radioactive.

Antonyms

• Inert: Lacking active properties, especially chemical or radioactive activity.
• Stable: Not liable to change or decompose; in physics, referring to non-radioactive isotopes.

Collocations and Common Phrases

• Radioactive element/material/substance: A common way to specify the radioactive item.
• Radioactive contamination: The unwanted presence of radioactive substances.
• Radioactive tracer: A radioactive isotope used to track the path of a substance in a system.

Adjective

1. exhibiting or caused by radioactivity
   • radioactive isotope
   • radioactive decay
   • radioactive fallout