amphoteric

American

[am-fuh-ter-ik] / ˌæm fəˈtɛr ɪk /

adjective

Chemistry.

capable of functioning either as an acid or as a base.

amphoteric British

/ ˌæmfəˈtɛrɪk /

adjective

Also: amphiprotic. chem able to function as either a base or an acid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

amphoteric Scientific

/ ăm′fə-tĕr′ĭk /

Capable of reacting chemically as either an acid or a base. Water, ammonia, and the hydroxides of certain metals are amphoteric.

Etymology

Origin of amphoteric

1840–50; < Greek amphóter ( os ) (comparative of ámphō both; cognate with Latin ambō ) + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Will the oxide of each element be acidic, basic, or amphoteric?

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Hydrogen carbonates are amphoteric because they act as both weak acids and weak bases.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

The oxides of metals with oxidation states of 4+ are amphoteric, and most are not soluble in either acids or bases.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

These compounds may be acidic, basic, or amphoteric depending on the properties of the central E atom.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Bodies of this kind are known as "amphoteric electrolytes," since they yield both positive and negative ions, if dissociated.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023