nuclear

Compared meaning: relating to nuclear power (adjective).

比较义项：与原子能（核能）有关的（形容词）。

• nuclear 本词

  The standard modern term for anything related to nuclear power, weapons or reactors; used in most current technical, industrial and policy writing, as in 'nuclear power plant' or 'nuclear energy'.

  现代最常用的标准词，指与核能、核武器或核反应堆有关的事物；广泛用于当今的科技、工业和政策类文本中，如“核电站”“核能源”。

  Engineers are building a new nuclear reactor to generate cleaner electricity.

  工程师们正在建造一座新的核反应堆，以产生更清洁的电力。

• atomic

  An older near-synonym of 'nuclear' in this sense, now mostly surviving in fixed historical phrases like 'atomic bomb' and 'atomic energy'; sounds somewhat dated in current technical usage.

  在这个意义上是 nuclear 较老的近义词，如今主要保留在“原子弹”“原子能”等固定的历史性说法中；用在当代科技语境里会显得有些过时。

  The atomic bomb ended the war in the Pacific in 1945.

  原子弹在一九四五年结束了太平洋战争。

Nuclear and atomic both relate to nuclear power, but usage differs. Nuclear is the standard modern term in technology, industry, and policy, as in 'nuclear power plant'. Atomic is older, mostly surviving in fixed phrases like 'atomic bomb', and sounds dated today.

这两个词在这个义项上都可以表示“与原子能有关的”，但常用搭配和语域不同：nuclear 是现代科技、工业和政策语境中的标准用词，如“核电站、核能源、核武器”；atomic 则更多留存在“原子弹、原子能”等历史固定搭配里，用在今天的科技语境中会显得略微陈旧。这里不比较 atomic 表示“原子（构成）的”这一更广泛的科学含义，如 atomic structure（原子结构）。