What does exothermically mean?
Exothermically is an adverb describing a process that releases heat to its surroundings. It is based on the adjective exothermic, which denotes a net transfer of thermal energy out of a system during a chemical or physical change. Common examples include oxidation, combustion, and certain polymerizations, all of which can warm their surroundings. In technical writing, saying that a reaction “proceeds exothermically” distinguishes it from one that proceeds endothermically, meaning that it absorbs heat overall. The word is especially associated with chemistry but is also used in fields that study energy transfer, including thermodynamics, materials science, and biology. Although the related noun exotherm can denote a particular quantity of released heat, exothermically is used chiefly to characterize how a process occurs. It is more precise than simply saying that something becomes hot, because the term specifically identifies heat as the energy released by the process itself.
adverbIn a way that releases heat to the surroundings; with a net loss of thermal energy from a chemical or physical process.
- With the release of heat from a chemical or physical process.
"The oxidation reaction proceeded exothermically, sending a pulse of heat through the apparatus."
"The catalyst caused the reaction to proceed exothermically, raising the temperature of the vessel."
"Some industrial polymerizations continue exothermically for several hours."
When a reaction runs exothermically, chemistry warms the surroundings.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does exothermically come from?
The word is formed from exotherm, an earlier term associated with a process that gives off heat. The prefix thermo- comes from Greek thermē, meaning “heat,” while exo- comes from Greek exō, meaning “outside.” The modern adverb combines this terminology with the adjective-forming suffix -ic and the adverbial suffix -ally, and is closely related to exothermic and exothermal.
How exothermically is actually used
This is primarily specialized vocabulary in chemistry, thermodynamics, and related technical fields. It normally describes the manner in which a reaction or process occurs, rather than a material itself.
Easily confused with exothermically
Both are adverbs meaning in a heat-releasing manner, but exothermally is a less common variant of the more standard exothermically.