The philosophical or scientific theory that all matter is composed of indivisible atoms; the belief that everything can be understood by studying its smallest parts.
From Greek atomismos, from atomos ('uncuttable'). The theory originated with ancient Greek philosophers Leucippus and Democritus around 440 BCE, then was revived in the 1600s by scientists like Boyle and Newton.
Atomism is one of humanity's greatest intellectual victories—ancient Greeks guessed atoms existed using pure philosophy, and they were right, 2,300 years before we could actually see atoms with electron microscopes.
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