Definition

Relating to or using radioactive isotopes, which are variants of chemical elements that emit radiation as they decay.

Example

The radioisotopic method is often used in medical imaging to diagnose diseases.

Conversation

I read an article about radioisotopic dating in geology today.

Oh, really? How does that work?

It uses the decay of certain isotopes to determine the age of rocks.

That's pretty cool! Science has some fascinating methods.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Radioisotopic → It is formed from "radio-" (from Latin "radius", meaning ray) and "isotopic" (from "iso-" meaning equal and "topos" meaning place). The term refers to isotopes that emit rays, particularly in the context of radioactive decay.

Memory Tip

Think of 'rays' ('radio-') being emitted from 'equal places' ('isotopic') — this helps you remember that radioisotopic relates to isotopes that emit radiation.

Visually Confused Words