Intermolecular

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Concerning the interactions that exist between molecules, these forces are fundamental in defining the physical characteristics of various materials
2. Involving the attractive or repulsive forces among molecules, these interactions are key to explaining changes in state and chemical properties
3. Relating to the forces that occur between molecules, these interactions are crucial in determining the behavior and properties of substances

Etymology: Intermolecular is a technical compound built in English from two parts: the Latin prefix "inter-", meaning "between" or "among", and "molecular", which itself comes from "molecule". The source also gives the deeper chain for "molecule": a New Latin diminutive of Latin "moles", meaning "mass", with the suffix "-cula" giving the sense "little mass". That chain passed into French as "molécule" and then into English, where "molecular" came to describe anything relating to these tiny particles. So "intermolecular" literally means "between little masses", a fitting picture for forces acting in the spaces between separate molecules rather than within them. The "inter-" prefix does the same work in many English compounds such as "international" or "interpersonal", marking a relationship that runs between separate units.

Synonyms: molecular, intramolecular, atomic, submolecular, chemical