chemical

American  

[kem-i-kuhl] / ˈkɛm ɪ kəl /

noun

1. a substance produced by or used in a chemical process.

2. Slang. chemicals, narcotic or mind-altering drugs or substances.

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adjective

1. of, used in, produced by, or concerned with chemistry or chemicals.

   a chemical formula; chemical agents.

2. used in chemical warfare.

   chemical weapons.

chemical British  

/ ˈkɛmɪkəl /

noun

1. any substance used in or resulting from a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules, especially one derived artificially for practical use

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adjective

1. of or used in chemistry

   chemical balance

2. of, made from, or using chemicals

   chemical fertilizer

chemical Scientific  

/ kĕm′ĭ-kəl /

1. Relating to or produced by means of chemistry.

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1. A substance having a specific molecular composition, obtained by or used in a chemical process.

Other Word Forms

• chemically adverb
• nonchemical adjective
• prechemical adjective
• pseudochemical adjective
• semichemical adjective
• semichemically adverb
• superchemical adjective
• superchemically adverb
• unchemical adjective
• unchemically adverb

Etymology

Origin of chemical

1570–80; chemic + -al ¹; replacing chimical chemic

Example Sentences

Every now and then, there was a line about pesticides or “veterinary chemicals.”

From The Wall Street Journal

It smells like chemicals back here, but also like Chinese food.

From Literature

Video footage from witnesses showed Pretti holding his phone and filming agents before he was sprayed by a chemical irritant and taken to the ground by federal agents.

From Barron's

The liquid he sprayed on Omar had a sour smell that was similar to a chemical product, according to a BBC journalist in the room.

From BBC

Without these measures, "it is impossible to know whether detected plastics originate from the tissue itself or from containers, chemicals, laboratory equipment or plastic particles present in the air," researcher Dušan Materić told AFP.

From Barron's

Related Words

• synthetic