thermodynamically

Thermodynamically is the adverb form of thermodynamic, used to indicate that a statement or property is considered from the perspective of thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is the branch of physics and physical chemistry that analyzes energy transfer, heat and work, temperature, and the state of systems in equilibrium or undergoing transitions. The term is commonly employed to distinguish conclusions that arise from thermodynamic principles from those based on kinetics, mechanics, or other frameworks.

In scientific writing, thermodynamically is used to qualify claims about energy landscapes, stability, and spontaneity. For example, a reaction may be described as thermodynamically favorable if it has a negative change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG < 0) under specified conditions, or thermodynamically stable if a state minimizes a thermodynamic potential such as G, H, or U. The phrase also appears in descriptions like thermodynamically allowed or thermodynamically forbidden processes, which refer to whether a transition complies with the laws of thermodynamics regardless of its rate.

Applications span multiple disciplines, including physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. The term often accompanies discussions of state functions—such as internal energy (U), enthalpy (H), entropy (S), and Gibbs free energy (G)—and of equilibrium versus non-equilibrium behavior. While thermodynamically derived statements impose energy and entropy constraints, they do not by themselves specify reaction rates or mechanisms; those aspects fall to kinetics.