Definition of repulsion

The origin of the word "repulsion" can be traced back to the early 16th century. At that time, the term was used primarily in a religious context to refer to the ideas of God's divine repulsion, meaning the repelling or denial of sin by God. The word's origins can be traced to the medieval Latin word repulser, which meant "to repel" or "to push away." This Latin word was derived from the prefix re, which denotes reversal or undoing, and the verb pulsi, which meant "to push" or "to strike." In its original usage, repulsion was a theological concept denoting the idea that God pushed away or repelled evil and sin through his holy power. This concept was at the heart of Christian theology during the Middle Ages, and it found expression in the works of numerous theologians and church fathers, such as Augustine and Aquinas. Over time, however, the meaning of repulsion evolved and adapted to suit different contexts. By the 17th century, the term had come to refer to more general ideas of recoil, rejection, or aversion, typically referring to physical and mechanical phenomena, such as the repulsion of oppositely charged electrical objects. Today, the term "repulsion" is commonly used in physics, chemistry, and related fields to describe various physical and mechanical forces that push objects apart, such as the electrostatic repulsion between charged particles. In psychology, it is also used to refer to the psychological processes that lead people to feel aversion or distaste for certain stimuli or experiences. In summary, the origin of the word "repulsion" can be traced back to medieval Latin, where it was used principally in a religious context to denote God's divine repulsion of evil and sin. Over time, the term's meaning evolved to encompass a variety of physical, mechanical, and psychological phenomena, and it continues to be an important part of modern science and everyday language.