lithium

American  

[lith-ee-uhm] / ˈlɪθ i əm /

noun

1. Chemistry. a soft, silver-white metallic element, the lightest of all metals, occurring combined in certain minerals. Li; 6.939; 3; 0.53 at 20°C.

2. Pharmacology. the substance in its carbonate or citrate form used in the treatment or prophylaxis of bipolar disorder or mania.

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lithium British  

/ ˈlɪθɪəm /

noun

1. a soft silvery element of the alkali metal series: the lightest known metal, used as an alloy hardener, as a reducing agent, and in batteries. Symbol: Li; atomic no: 3; atomic wt: 6.941; valency: 1; relative density: 0.534; melting pt: 180.6°C; boiling pt: 1342°C

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lithium Scientific  

/ lĭth′ē-əm /

1. A soft, silvery metallic element of the alkali group that occurs in small amounts in some minerals. It is the lightest of all metals and is highly reactive. Lithium is used to make alloys, batteries, glass for large telescopes, and ceramics. Atomic number 3; atomic weight 6.941; melting point 179°C; boiling point 1,317°C; specific gravity 0.534; valence 1.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of lithium

From New Latin, dating back to 1810–20; see origin at lith-, -ium

Explanation

Lithium is a lightweight metal that's commonly used to make batteries. A compound made from this element, also called lithium, is a medication for treating bipolar disorder. Lithium is the lightest and least dense of all the solid elements. It doesn't exist in nature outside of minerals, and it must be extracted in order to be used. In fact, it was named for this quality: the Greek root of lithium is lithos, or "stone." Lithium is used to remove impurities from metals, to make batteries, and in heat-resistant glass, among other things. Lithium salts, or lithium carbonate, can treat the symptoms of some mental illnesses.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lithium

The office intends to have an environmental contractor remove the lithium batteries, which it says will be properly disposed of.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

The platform—an early peek at an architecture to be shared among VW AG subsidiaries, including Bentley—has a load-bearing battery structure holding 113 kWh of pouch-style NMC lithium batteries, accounting for 1,365 pounds of overall weight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Canada also has significant reserves of critical minerals like lithium, nickel and graphite.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Finning’s services to lithium miners in Bolivia and copper miners in Chile and Argentina give it “a very significant opportunity for profits,” with those materials in such high demand during the AI build-out, Robotti said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Eager to jump into what was now the hottest line of research in nuclear physics, Brady checked out a lump of lithium from the Chemistry Department storeroom.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik