ground state
noun Physics.
the state of least energy of a particle, as an atom, or of a system of particles.
Also called
ground level.
Origin of ground state
First recorded in 1925–30
Words nearby ground state
British Dictionary definitions for ground state
ground state
ground level
noun
the lowest energy state of an atom, molecule, particle, etc
Compare excited (def. 4)
Medical definitions for ground state
ground state
n.
The state of least possible energy in a physical system, as of atoms or molecules.
Scientific definitions for ground state
ground state
The state of a physical system having the lowest possible potential energy. For example, an electron in the lowest energy orbital in a hydrogen atom is in a ground state. The ground state of a physical system tends to be stable unless energy is applied to it from the outside; states that are not the ground state have a tendency to revert to the ground state, giving off energy in the process. Compare excited state.