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
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.
There are also more extreme options, such as the chemical menopause and, in some cases, having ovaries removed to stop the natural hormone cycle.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
For minerals you could imagine the “gravel” to be atomic elements, the “bucket” to be a cosmic cloud where atoms can bind into molecules and the feature of interest being chemical stability.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
There are some concerns emerging however, as to be expected from the rise in fuel and chemical costs.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Recent studies exploring fossil biomolecules suggest that certain burial environments and microscopic bone structures may create stable conditions that slow chemical breakdown dramatically.
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
To believers, this proved that spirits produced the chemical.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
