detergent
Americannoun
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any of a group of synthetic, organic, liquid or water-soluble cleaning agents that, unlike soap, are not prepared from fats and oils, are not inactivated by hard water, and have wetting-agent and emulsifying-agent properties.
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a similar substance that is oil-soluble and capable of holding insoluble foreign matter in suspension, used in lubricating oils, dry-cleaning preparations, etc.
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any cleansing agent, including soap.
adjective
noun
adjective
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A cleaning agent that increases the ability of water to penetrate fabric and break down greases and dirt. Detergents act like soap but, unlike soaps, they are derived from organic acids rather than fatty acids. Their molecules surround particles of grease and dirt, allowing them to be carried away.
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Compare soap
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of detergent
First recorded in 1610–20; from French or directly from Latin dētergent- (stem of dētergēns, present participle of dētergēre ) “to wipe off”); see origin at deterge, -ent
Explanation
Detergent is a substance that's used for cleaning. Detergent is similar to soap, but it's stronger and dissolves more completely in water. Detergents are special, powerful cleansers that can break up dirt, oils, and grease in clothing or on dishes. You might buy laundry detergent for washing your dirty clothes and dish detergent for the sink full of plates and bowls after your dinner party. The Latin root of detergent is detergere, "to wipe away or cleanse."
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:
Their mission that day was to come up with a new format of Tide detergent with improved features, such as stronger cleaning and better odor removal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Before Tide was introduced in 1946, P&G already had two big detergent brands—Duz and Oxydol.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Many larger machines don’t have an agitator in the drum, instead relying on the tumbling action of clothing, detergent and water to clean.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
It was all quiet and business as usual, except for the roaring trucks that were spraying foamy "detergent" on the pavement.
From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026
But I stick to the instructions, and fill the bottle with warm water and some drops of food dye and detergent and baking soda to make the lava.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
Petroleum is also used to make detergents that help toothpaste foam and synthetics that improve shelf life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026
Many common products, including plastics and detergents, rely on chemical reactions that depend on catalysts made from precious metals such as platinum.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 2026
The colorless gas is also used to make chemicals found in products such as antifreeze, detergents, plastics and adhesives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2025
It is used in common substances like plastic, resin, nylon and some forms of dyes, pesticides or detergents.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2025
Thousands of animals are used every year for testing things such as detergents, cosmetics, and, in fact, almost every new product that comes on the market.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
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.
