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:
By combining chemical imaging with highly sensitive radiocarbon measurements, the team has developed a method that could be applied to other prehistoric figures previously considered undatable.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Scientists noted, too, that amphetamine bore a chemical resemblance to dopamine, adding further weight to the connection between dopamine and schizophrenia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Combined with the region's porous borders and weaker regulation of chemical imports, this helps them cut costs to lucrative consumer markets.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Von Hagens, an anatomist, lecturer and entrepreneur nicknamed "Dr Death," in the 1970s invented the plastination process, which involves removing water and fat from human and animal tissue and replacing them with chemical compounds.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Of the various components, he was particularly intrigued by one kind of chemical.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Pesticide and herbicide use is commonplace and these chemicals affect the fitness of bees, causing them to die off.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
When rain falls on parking lots, water runs off carrying metal dust and chemicals from vehicle tires and brake pads, oil and grease from engines and bacteria from trash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The Belgian chemicals company’s strategic review of its performance and care division should enable more focus on the materials division, where there is higher potential, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Separating and purifying the elements from mineral deposits often requires toxic chemicals, while radioactive substances are frequently present in the same geological formations.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Among other plots, Harvey attempted to damage Castro's public image by adding chemicals to his cigars that would have made him seem confused and incoherent.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
