plate tectonics

noun

plural in form but singular in construction

1

: a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of plates which float on and travel independently over the mantle and much of the earth's seismic activity occurs at the boundaries of these plates

2

: the process and dynamics of tectonic plate movement

also : a similar process on a body other than earth compare continental drift

plate-tectonic

ˈplāt-tek-ˈtä-nik 

adjective

Examples of plate tectonics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Europa’s surface is a frozen wonderland with a young but complex history, possibly including icy analogs of plate tectonics and volcanoes. —Mike Sori, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024

Jupiter’s extreme radiation made Europa’s surface oxygen-rich; if plate tectonics helped feed that material into the ocean, the oxygen could foster complex organic molecules and even life. —David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024

Germ theory, plate tectonics, the Big Bang and countless other fringe theories lay buried in the crackpot pile for decades before surfacing as scientific consensus. —Andréa Morris, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

Mapping impact craters and considering how plate tectonics has changed the face of the Earth, researchers have found evidence suggesting that Earth may have had a ring system around 466 million years ago. —David Bressan, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

plate tectonics

noun

1

: a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of moving plates whose movements cause seismic activity (as earthquakes)

2

: the process of plate movement

plate-tectonic adjective