detergent
Americannoun
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any of a group of synthetic, organic, liquid or water-soluble cleaning agents that, unlike soap, are not prepared from fats and oils, are not inactivated by hard water, and have wetting-agent and emulsifying-agent properties.
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a similar substance that is oil-soluble and capable of holding insoluble foreign matter in suspension, used in lubricating oils, dry-cleaning preparations, etc.
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any cleansing agent, including soap.
adjective
noun
adjective
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A cleaning agent that increases the ability of water to penetrate fabric and break down greases and dirt. Detergents act like soap but, unlike soaps, they are derived from organic acids rather than fatty acids. Their molecules surround particles of grease and dirt, allowing them to be carried away.
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Compare soap
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of detergent
First recorded in 1610–20; from French or directly from Latin dētergent- (stem of dētergēns, present participle of dētergēre ) “to wipe off”); see origin at deterge, -ent
Explanation
Detergent is a substance that's used for cleaning. Detergent is similar to soap, but it's stronger and dissolves more completely in water. Detergents are special, powerful cleansers that can break up dirt, oils, and grease in clothing or on dishes. You might buy laundry detergent for washing your dirty clothes and dish detergent for the sink full of plates and bowls after your dinner party. The Latin root of detergent is detergere, "to wipe away or cleanse."
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.
See Examples For:
MASON, Ohio—As the nation’s dominant purveyor of laundry detergent, Procter & Gamble PG -0.12%decrease; down pointing triangle knows full well that consumers have strong feelings about their wash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Many larger machines don’t have an agitator in the drum, instead relying on the tumbling action of clothing, detergent and water to clean.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Miners mix mud with powdered detergent, which then flows through a series of chutes covered with materials that absorb the mineral.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
It was all quiet and business as usual, except for the roaring trucks that were spraying foamy "detergent" on the pavement.
From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026
She then went to Mrs. Munyama and borrowed a wash- tub and a thistle-brush and a dose of laundry detergent.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
As well as clothing and shoes, the cupboard also stocks personal hygiene products and laundry detergents.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
He then started his career in marketing at consumer-goods conglomerates, working on brands from detergents to dairy products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
The colorless gas is also used to make chemicals found in products such as antifreeze, detergents, plastics and adhesives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2025
During the war we haven’t been able to do that—no detergents, no sterilizers, nothing.
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2024
I just have a couple of white spots that are probably there because Mom switched detergents or something.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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.
