chemistry

American  

[kem-uh-stree] / ˈkɛm ə stri /

noun

• chemistries
  plural

1. the science that deals with the composition and properties of substances and various elementary forms of matter.

2. chemical properties, reactions, phenomena, etc..

   the chemistry of carbon.

3. the interaction of one personality with another.

   The chemistry between him and his boss was all wrong.

4. sympathetic understanding; rapport.

   the astonishing chemistry between the actors.

5. any or all of the elements that make up something.

   the chemistry of love.

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chemistry British  

/ ˈkɛmɪstrɪ /

noun

1. the branch of physical science concerned with the composition, properties, and reactions of substances See also inorganic chemistry organic chemistry physical chemistry

2. the composition, properties, and reactions of a particular substance

3. the nature and effects of any complex phenomenon

   the chemistry of humour

4. informal a reaction, taken to be instinctual, between two persons

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chemistry Scientific  

/ kĕm′ĭ-strē /

1. The scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of the chemical elements and the compounds they form.

2. The composition, structure, properties, and reactions of a substance.

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chemistry Cultural  

1. The study of the composition, properties, and reactions of matter, particularly at the level of atoms and molecules.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chemistries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chemistry

First recorded in 1590–1600; chemist + -ry; replacing earlier chymistry, chimistry

Explanation

Chemistry is the science that tells us what things and people are made of; for example, that water is really H2O, two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Chemistry deals with chemicals and elements, the building blocks of our world. The periodic table, that table of all of earth's basic elements — iron, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, etc. — comes from chemistry. Chemistry explains how atoms attract each other to become molecules. We also use the term to refer to people who are attracted to each other, either as colleagues, friends or romantic partners. Movie reviewers often say that that romantic leads have "great chemistry" — or not.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chemistry chemistries

Scent marks have to convey useful information even though their chemistry begins changing as soon as they are deposited.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

The findings suggested that Menin could influence cognition not only through inflammation, but also by helping maintain the chemistry that supports brain signaling.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The younger Merck studied chemistry at Harvard and took over the family business after his father died in 1925.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The Hunga Tonga eruption created unusually favorable conditions for this chemistry.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

When she had to give up on that dream, she fell back on chemistry.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

At the same time, the team is screening large families of two dimensional materials and surface chemistries to identify combinations that can either enhance or suppress water reactivity for specific technological applications.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

To compete, we have to move beyond lithium-based batteries to novel chemistries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

There are hundreds of steel chemistries processed dozens of ways to make products suitable for cars, cans, and buildings.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025

Meanwhile, battery safety is improving all the time, with newer systems equipped with improved suppression systems and more fire-resistant battery chemistries.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025

But compared with cows’ bodies, ours offer different immune defenses, lice, feces, and chemistries.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• appeal
• beauty
• charisma
• glamour
• grace
• magic