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.
See Examples For:
“Essential oils are natural and can be irritating allergens. And ‘chemical-free skincare’ is scientifically impossible; water is a chemical, lipids are chemicals, and vitamins are chemicals.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It can get quite expensive,” said Moynihan, the Detroit Golf Club agronomist, of repairs from improper chemical usage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
By flicking their forked tongues, they collect chemical signals from the air that help them locate potential prey.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
McCann, who balances his swimming with studying for a chemical engineering degree, has been part of the Scottish Swimming programme since his teens.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
He washes his own equipment and uniforms after every practice and game, though, and he takes showers that seem like the kind that workers get after there’s a chemical leak at a nuclear power plant.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
Those ships—which are largely controlled by an Iranian state company, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines—carry anything from consumer goods to machinery and chemicals from Chinese ports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Although artillery-shell output has increased, producers still rely on constricted supplies of dangerous chemicals manufactured in a globe-spanning supply chain with lots of chokepoints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The fires have also threatened a number of sensitive military and industrial sites in the area, including facilities that work on French ballistic missiles, rocket motors, and the processing of hazardous chemicals.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Essential oils are natural and can be irritating allergens. And ‘chemical-free skincare’ is scientifically impossible; water is a chemical, lipids are chemicals, and vitamins are chemicals.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I’m going to talk about the triple blend,” Brooklyn answered, referring to the special mix of chemicals used in their proposal.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
