chemical
Americannoun
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a substance produced by or used in a chemical process.
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Slang. chemicals, narcotic or mind-altering drugs or substances.
adjective
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of, used in, produced by, or concerned with chemistry or chemicals.
a chemical formula; chemical agents.
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used in chemical warfare.
chemical weapons.
noun
adjective
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of or used in chemistry
chemical balance
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of, made from, or using chemicals
chemical fertilizer
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonchemicaladjective
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prechemicaladjective
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pseudochemicaladjective
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semichemicaladjective
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superchemicaladjective
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unchemicaladjective
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chemicallyadverb
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semichemicallyadverb
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superchemicallyadverb
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unchemicallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of chemical
Explanation
A chemical is any mix of raw elements: hydrogen + oxygen produce the chemical water. Water is created by a change in the chemistry of hydrogen and oxygen atoms — a chemical change. Be cautious of the negative reaction people have to chemical substances. Chemicals often bring to mind deadly substances, such as asbestos or deadly chemical weapons. But many chemicals are part of our everyday life. Our lives would be drastically different without chemical compounds — think of the infection that would result if we didn't have the chemical hydrogen peroxide for cleaning out cuts.
Vocabulary lists containing chemical
Matter and Energy 1: Atoms and Molecules
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Chemical Reactions - Introductory
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"Handle with Care"
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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.
Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center discovered that fructose and glucose communicate with the brain through separate gut-brain pathways.
From Science Daily • Jun. 26, 2026
The first explosion ignited a second explosion at a nearby Monsanto Chemical Co. plant and caused a fire on another ship, the SS Highflyer, which then exploded 16 hours later.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Alongside artists like the Chemical Brothers and Death in Vegas, he helped pioneer and popularise the big beat genre, which sits somewhere between hip hop and acid house.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The Thai oil and gas company should also enjoy strong earnings contribution from subsidiaries Thai Oil, PTT Exploration & Production, and PTT Global Chemical this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Other sessions had taken Chemical Agents before us; we’d see them in the mess hall at lunch with gas masks around their waists and apprehension in their eyes.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
