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sisma
/ˈsi.zma/
earthquake
Il sisma ha colpito la regione alle 3 del mattino.
The earthquake struck the region at 3 AM.
formal
A sudden violent shaking of the ground, typically causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action.
Dopo il sisma, i soccorritori hanno iniziato le operazioni di ricerca.
After the earthquake, rescuers began search operations.
Il sisma del 2016 in Italia ha causato ingenti danni.
The 2016 earthquake in Italy caused extensive damage.
In geological contexts, 'sisma' is often used interchangeably with 'terremoto', though 'terremoto' is more common in everyday speech.
Collocations
sisma di magnitudo Xearthquake of magnitude Xzona ad alto rischio sismicohigh seismic risk zoneprevenzione dei sismiearthquake prevention
Synonyms
Pro Tip
When to use 'sisma' vs. 'terremoto'
'Sisma' is preferred in formal, technical, or scientific contexts (e.g., reports, news articles, geological studies). 'Terremoto' is more common in casual speech and everyday conversation.
Word Origin
From Latin 'seismus', from Greek 'seismós' (σεισμός), meaning 'earthquake', derived from 'seíō' (σειω), 'to shake'.
Usage Notes
In Italian, 'sisma' is a more technical term often used in scientific or formal contexts, while 'terremoto' is the everyday word for earthquake. The plural form is 'sismi'.
Word Breakdown
sis-
from Greek 'seíō' (σειω), 'to shake'
root-ma
noun-forming suffix in Greek
suffixDizionario Italiano-Inglese