Relating to processes or phenomena that cannot be explained by or exist outside the normal laws of thermodynamics.
From 'extra-' (outside) + 'thermodynamic' (from Greek therme, heat + dynamis, power). This scientific term appeared in chemistry and physics when certain reactions seemed to violate known thermodynamic laws.
When chemists found reactions that seemed impossible according to thermodynamics, they initially called them 'extrathermodynamic'—until they discovered they were actually following different thermodynamic rules we didn't know about yet.
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