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Meaning & use

quantum leap

noun·Academicfigurative

Last updated

UK/ˌkwɒntəm ˈliːp/
US/ˌkwɑːntəm ˈliːp/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablefigurative

    A sudden, very large step forward or change, especially an improvement that is much bigger than expected.

    Grammar: Usually takes a: a quantum leap in performance; often used with make or represent.

    Patterns

    • a quantum leap in something
    • a quantum leap forward
    • make a quantum leap

    The new engine is a quantum leap in fuel efficiency.

    Her writing took a quantum leap after she joined the workshop.

    The software update represents a quantum leap for small businesses.

  2. nouncountablephysicstechnical

    In physics, the sudden jump of an electron or atom from one energy level to another, with nothing in between.

    Grammar: A countable technical term: the electron makes a quantum leap.

    Patterns

    • a quantum leap between levels

    When the electron makes a quantum leap, it releases light.

    The quantum leap from one state to another takes almost no time.

    The textbook explains each quantum leap in the hydrogen atom.

Word forms

pluralquantum leaps

Common combinations

make a quantum leap
The team made a quantum leap in its research.
a quantum leap in quality
The new camera is a quantum leap in quality.
a quantum leap forward
The treaty was a quantum leap forward for peace.
represent a quantum leap
The design represents a quantum leap from earlier models.
take a quantum leap
The company took a quantum leap into online sales.

Synonyms and how they differ

breakthrough
Breakthrough names a key discovery or advance that opens new possibilities, while quantum leap stresses the size of the change.
giant leap
Giant leap is plainer and more informal, with the same idea of size and no technical echo.
sea change
Sea change describes a deep, lasting transformation, not necessarily an improvement.
great advance
Great advance is neutral and formal, and it lacks the sense of suddenness that quantum leap carries.

Opposites

small stepgradual improvement

Word family

quantum noun
the smallest amount of energy in physics
quantum adjective
relating to quantum theory
leap verb
to jump or move suddenly
quantum jump noun
another name for the physics sense

Commonly confused: quantum leap or quantum jump?

quantum leap vs quantum jump

Quantum jump is used mainly in physics, though some speakers also use it to mean a big advance.

Practice

The company described its new engine as a ____ in clean energy, far beyond anything before it.

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