Collisional

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Involving the interactions and resulting effects that stem from the collision of multiple objects or particles
2. Pertaining to the interactions and consequences that occur when two or more entities collide within a physical context
3. Connected to or resulting from the event of two or more bodies striking each other

Etymology: "Collisional" is a straightforward formation: the adjective suffix "-al" attached to "collision." That suffix has a long pedigree. It descends from Latin "-ālis," which passed through Old French "-el" and reached Middle English as "-al," so English speakers have been bolting it onto nouns for centuries to mean "relating to" whatever the noun names. The base word, "collision," comes from Latin "collidere," meaning "to strike together," built from "com-" ("together") and "laedere" ("to strike"). The Latin root is what gives the whole family its sense of impact, so "collisional" literally means "relating to striking together." The adjective's real work is in technical settings. Physicists, chemists and engineers use it to describe the processes that follow an impact, such as collisional energy transfer or collisional broadening, where the focus is on what happens during and after the contact rather than on the collision itself.

Synonyms: impact, collision-related