anthracite

American  

[an-thruh-sahyt] / ˈæn θrəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. a mineral coal containing little of the volatile hydrocarbons and burning almost without flame; hard coal.

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anthracite British  

/ ˈænθrəˌsaɪt, ˌænθrəˈsɪtɪk /

noun

1. Also called: hard coal.  a hard jet-black coal that burns slowly with a nonluminous flame giving out intense heat. Fixed carbon content: 86–98 per cent; calorific value: 3.14 × 10 ⁷ –3.63 × 10 ⁷ J/kg

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anthracite Scientific  

/ ăn′thrə-sīt′ /

1. A hard, shiny coal that has a high carbon content. It is valued as a fuel because it burns with a clean flame and without smoke or odor, but it is much less abundant than bituminous coal.

2. Compare bituminous coal lignite

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Other Word Forms

• anthracitic
  adjective
• anthracitous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of anthracite

1810–15; probably < French < Latin (Pliny) anthracītis kind of coal. See anthrac-, -ite ¹

Compare meaning

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

• anthracite vs. bituminous coal

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anthracite

In its application, the company had argued it had developed "a niche non-thermal market for premium quality anthracite".

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

They grabbed the easel, found crimson and anthracite paint and splattered the colors across the canvas.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2023

I have a very good friend here in New Hampshire who heats with anthracite coal.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 5, 2022

Abramovic, known for her work with crystals, chose anthracite from Ukrainian mines and rock quartz crystals from Brazil.

From Reuters ● Oct. 6, 2021

The air was stale and still, suffused with the scent of rotten peaches, horse excrement, and partially combusted Illinois anthracite.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson