# van der Waals force

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The relatively weak attraction between neutral atoms and molecules arising from polarization induced in each particle by the presence of other particles.

## Etymology
From van der Waals + force.
From Dutch van der Waals.
from Johannes Diderik van der Waals, who first described them.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/van-der-waals-force