aluminum

American  

[uh-loo-muh-nuhm] / əˈlu mə nəm /

British, aluminium

noun

1. Chemistry. a silver-white metallic element, light in weight, ductile, malleable, and not readily corroded or tarnished, occurring combined in nature in igneous rock, shale, clay, and most soil: used in alloys and for lightweight utensils, castings, airplane parts, etc. alum.; Al; 26.98; 13; 2.70 at 20°C.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or containing aluminum.

   an aluminum frying pan.

aluminum Scientific  

/ ə-lo̅o̅′mə-nəm /

1. Symbol Al A lightweight, silvery-white metallic element that is ductile, is found chiefly in bauxite, and is a good conductor of electricity. It is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust and is used to make a wide variety of products from soda cans to airplane components. Atomic number 13; atomic weight 26.9815; melting point 660.3°C (1,220.5°F); boiling point 2,519°C; specific gravity 2.70; valence 3.

2. See Periodic Table

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Other Word Forms

• aluminic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of aluminum

1812; from New Latin; aluminum was an alteration, by Humphry Davy, of alumium, which was first proposed; the chiefly British variant aluminium was formed after other metals in -ium. See alumina, -ium

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Compare meaning

How does aluminum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• alumina vs. aluminum

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Explanation

Aluminum is a relatively lightweight type of silver-colored metal. Most soda cans are made out of aluminum. Aluminum is the most abundant metal in Earth's crust. Because it is lightweight, durable, and highly pliable, it is used in everything from airplane parts and foil to bicycles and high-voltage power lines. Its name is derived from alumina (aluminum oxide), which traces back to the Latin word alumen, meaning "bitter salt."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aluminum

Goncalves decried General Motors’ continued production of vehicles in South Korea, and called on Ford Motor to stop using aluminum for the body of the F-150 pickup truck, the nation’s bestselling vehicle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

The maker of aerosol containers aluminum cans on Monday reported a profit of $225 million, or $2.08 a share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Looking ahead, Alcoa said it continues to expect aluminum production to come in between 2.4 million and 2.6 million metric tons for the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Pilbara iron ore shipments were as expected, copper output was 2% ahead while aluminum output was 6% below consensus views, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Then he put the can on the table, broke the aluminum tab thing, the thing you open it with, off the top, and popped it in his mouth like it was candy.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

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