TERMIUM Plus®
From: Translation Bureau
On social media
Consult the Government of Canada’s terminology data bank.
UNIMOLECULAIRE [5 records]
Record 1 - internal organization data 2004-04-30
Record 1, English
Record 1, Subject field(s)
- Analytical Chemistry
Record 1, Main entry term, English
- unstable
1, record 1, English, unstable
correct, adjective
Record 1, Abbreviations, English
Record 1, Synonyms, English
Record 1, Textual support, English
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 DEF
Tending toward decomposition or other unwanted chemical change during normal handling or storage. 2, record 1, English, - unstable
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 OBS
An unstable chemical in its pure state, or as commonly produced or transported, will vigorously polymerize, decompose, condense, or become self-reactive under conditions of shock, pressure, or temperature. See also Stability. 2, record 1, English, - unstable
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT
Some substances are unstable; that is, they react when heated or when they come into contact with another product. As a result, they may cause pressure build-up or increases in temperature, or they may release toxic or corrosive products. 3, record 1, English, - unstable
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 2 OBS
unstable: The opposite of "stable," i.e. the chemical species concerned has a higher molar Gibbs energy than some assumed standard. The term should not be used in place of "reactive" or "transient," although more reactive or transient species are frequently also more unstable. (Very unstable chemical species tend to undergo exothermic unimolecular decompositions. Variations in the structure of the related chemical species of this kind generally affect the energy of the transition states for these decompositions less than they affect the stability of the decomposing chemical species. Low stability may therefore parallel a relatively high rate of unimolecular decomposition.) 4, record 1, English, - unstable
Record 1, French
Record 1, Domaine(s)
- Chimie analytique
Record 1, Main entry term, French
- instable
1, record 1, French, instable
correct
Record 1, Abbreviations, French
Record 1, Synonyms, French
Record 1, Textual support, French
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT
combinaison instable : qui se décompose facilement en ses éléments. 2, record 1, French, - instable
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 OBS
instable : Contraire de «stable»; en d’autres termes, l'énergie de Gibbs molaire de l'espèce chimique concernée est plus élevée que celle d’une référence sous-entendue. Ce terme ne doit pas être utilisé comme synonyme de «réactif» ou de «transitoire», bien que souvent les espèces les plus réactives ou les plus éphémères soient aussi les plus instables.(Les espèces chimiques très instables ont tendance à subir des décompositions unimoléculaires exothermiques. Généralement, les variations de structure d’espèces chimiques de ce type, appartenant à une même famille, affectent moins l'énergie es états de transition de leur décomposition que leur stabilité. Dans ce contexte, une faible stabilité peut signifier que la décomposition unimoléculaire est relativement rapide). 3, record 1, French, - instable
Record 1, Spanish
Record 1, Campo(s) temático(s)
- Química analítica
Record 1, Main entry term, Spanish
- inestable
1, record 1, Spanish, inestable
correct
Record 1, Abbreviations, Spanish
Record 1, Synonyms, Spanish
Record 1, Textual support, Spanish
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 DEF
Se aplica a los compuestos químicos que se descomponen con facilidad. 2, record 1, Spanish, - inestable
Record 2 - internal organization data 2002-09-24
Record 2, English
Record 2, Subject field(s)
- Electrochemistry
Record 2, Main entry term, English
- heterolysis
1, record 2, English, heterolysis
correct
Record 2, Abbreviations, English
Record 2, Synonyms, English
Record 2, Textual support, English
Record number: 2, Textual support number: 1 DEF
The cleavage of a bond so that both bonding electrons remain with one of the two fragments between which the bond is broken ... 2, record 2, English, - heterolysis
Record number: 2, Textual support number: 1 OBS
Heterolysis of a bond (not forming part of a ring) in the unimolecular reaction of an electrically neutral molecular entity results in the formation of two oppositely charged ions ... 2, record 2, English, - heterolysis
Record 2, French
Record 2, Domaine(s)
- Électrochimie
Record 2, Main entry term, French
- hétérolyse
1, record 2, French, h%C3%A9t%C3%A9rolyse
correct, feminine noun
Record 2, Abbreviations, French
Record 2, Synonyms, French
Record 2, Textual support, French
Record number: 2, Textual support number: 1 DEF
Coupure d’une liaison entre deux fragments dont l’un conserve la totalité du doublet électronique. [...] 2, record 2, French, - h%C3%A9t%C3%A9rolyse
Record number: 2, Textual support number: 1 OBS
Lorsqu'elle intervient au cours de la réaction unimoléculaire d’une entité moléculaire neutre [...] l'hétérolyse d’une liaison(non incluse dans un cycle) conduit à deux ions de charges opposées. 2, record 2, French, - h%C3%A9t%C3%A9rolyse
Record 2, Spanish
Record 2, Campo(s) temático(s)
- Electroquímica
Record 2, Main entry term, Spanish
- heterólisis
1, record 2, Spanish, heter%C3%B3lisis
feminine noun
Record 2, Abbreviations, Spanish
Record 2, Synonyms, Spanish
Record 2, Textual support, Spanish
Record 3 - internal organization data 2001-07-17
Record 3, English
Record 3, Subject field(s)
- Chemistry
Record 3, Main entry term, English
- bimolecular
1, record 3, English, bimolecular
correct
Record 3, Abbreviations, English
Record 3, Synonyms, English
Record 3, Textual support, English
Record number: 3, Textual support number: 1 DEF
The number of reactant molecular entities that are involved in the microscopic chemical event constituting an elementary reaction. (For reactions in solution this number is always taken to exclude molecular entities that form part of the medium and which are involved solely by virtue of their solvation of solutes). A reaction with a molecularity of one is called unimolecular, on with a molecularity of two bimolecular and of three termolecular. The molecularity of a reaction is also the number of reactant particles present in the transition state. The term molecularity should not be applied to a composite reaction, even if there is a clearly-identified rate-determining step. 2, record 3, English, - bimolecular
Record 3, French
Record 3, Domaine(s)
- Chimie
Record 3, Main entry term, French
- bimoléculaire
1, record 3, French, bimol%C3%A9culaire
correct
Record 3, Abbreviations, French
Record 3, Synonyms, French
Record 3, Textual support, French
Record number: 3, Textual support number: 1 CONT
[On appelle molécularité] le nombre d’entités moléculaires réactionnelles intervenant dans l'«acte chimique microscopique» correspondant à une réaction élémentaire(pour des réactions en solution, ce nombre n’ inclut pas les entités moléculaires appartenant au milieu et n’ intervenant que par la solvatation des solutés). Les réactions de molécularité un, deux ou trois sont respectivement qualifiées d’«unimoléculaire», de «bimoléculaire», ou de «trimoléculaire». La molécularité d’une réaction peut aussi être définie en fonction du nombre de particules impliquées dans l'état de transition. On ne doit toutefois pas utiliser le terme molécularité pour les réactions composées, même si elles impliquent une étape cinétiquement déterminante bien définie. 1, record 3, French, - bimol%C3%A9culaire
Record 3, Spanish
Record 3, Campo(s) temático(s)
- Química
Record 3, Main entry term, Spanish
- bimolecular 1, record 3, Spanish, bimolecular
Record 3, Abbreviations, Spanish
Record 3, Synonyms, Spanish
Record 3, Textual support, Spanish
Record 4 - internal organization data 1997-02-18
Record 4, English
Record 4, Subject field(s)
- Chemistry
Record 4, Main entry term, English
- co-ordination
1, record 4, English, co%2Dordination
correct
Record 4, Abbreviations, English
Record 4, Synonyms, English
Record 4, Textual support, English
Record number: 4, Textual support number: 1 DEF
The formation of a covalent bond, the two shared electrons of which have come from only one of the two parts of the molecular entity linked by it, as in the reaction between a Lewis acid and a Lewis base to form a Lewis adduct; ... it is the reverse of unimolecular heterolysis. 1, record 4, English, - co%2Dordination
Record 4, French
Record 4, Domaine(s)
- Chimie
Record 4, Main entry term, French
- coordination
1, record 4, French, coordination
correct, feminine noun
Record 4, Abbreviations, French
Record 4, Synonyms, French
Record 4, Textual support, French
Record number: 4, Textual support number: 1 DEF
La formation d’une liaison covalente dans laquelle les deux électrons partagés proviennent d’une seule des deux parties liées dans l'entité moléculaire; par exemple, une réaction entre un acide de Lewis et une base de Lewis qui donne lieu à la formation d’un adduit de Lewis. [...] il s’agit de l'inverse d’une hétérolyse unimoléculaire. 1, record 4, French, - coordination
Record 4, Spanish
Record 4, Textual support, Spanish
Record 5 - internal organization data 1997-01-15
Record 5, English
Record 5, Subject field(s)
- Chemistry
Record 5, Main entry term, English
- colligation
1, record 5, English, colligation
correct
Record 5, Abbreviations, English
Record 5, Synonyms, English
Record 5, Textual support, English
Record number: 5, Textual support number: 1 DEF
The formation of a covalent bond by the combination or recombination of two radicals (the reverse of unimolecular homolysis). 1, record 5, English, - colligation
Record 5, French
Record 5, Domaine(s)
- Chimie
Record 5, Main entry term, French
- colligation
1, record 5, French, colligation
correct, feminine noun
Record 5, Abbreviations, French
Record 5, Synonyms, French
Record 5, Textual support, French
Record number: 5, Textual support number: 1 DEF
Formation d’une liaison covalente par combinaison ou recombinaison de deux radicaux(l'inverse d’une homolyse unimoléculaire). 1, record 5, French, - colligation
Record 5, Spanish
Record 5, Textual support, Spanish
Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank
© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2026
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau
Features
GCtranslate (available on the Government of Canada network only)
Use this artificial intelligence prototype to translate Government of Canada content up to and including Protected B. Available to employees of selected departments and agencies only.
Writing tools
The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.
Glossaries and vocabularies
Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.
- Date Modified:


