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fluoridate

American  
[floor-i-dayt, flawr-, flohr-] / ˈflʊər ɪˌdeɪt, ˈflɔr-, ˈfloʊr- /

verb (used with object)

fluoridated, fluoridating
  1. to introduce a fluoride into.

    to fluoridate drinking water.


fluoridate British  
/ ˈflʊərɪˌdeɪt /

verb

  1. to subject (water) to fluoridation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fluoridate Scientific  
/ flr′ĭ-dāt′ /
  1. To add fluorine or a fluoride to something, especially to drinking water in order to prevent tooth decay.


Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of fluoridate

First recorded in 1945–50; back formation from fluoridation


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:

State and local authorities decide for themselves whether to fluoridate the water supply.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2025

Towns that fluoridate must maintain levels within the state’s recommendations and submit monthly reports to the state Health Department.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 8, 2022

But only about a dozen towns fluoridate, and that has to change.”

From Washington Times ● Oct. 12, 2015

In 2013, citizens in Portland, Ore., one of only a few major American cities that don’t fluoridate, blocked a plan by local officials to do so.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 12, 2015

“The fact that we collected so many signatures shows the citizens of Portland were really upset that they were going to fluoridate without a public vote,” says Kellie Barnes, spokeswoman for Clean Water Portland.

From Slate ● May 17, 2013

The program was so successful in improving dental health that by 1960, almost one-quarter of Americans were drinking from taps with fluoridated water.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

All the research on whether fluoride in water is associated with IQ is observational, because you can’t really randomize people to drink fluoridated water, at least over any kind of span of time.

From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025

Fluoride - a naturally occurring mineral recognised to protect teeth against decay - is added to water supplies in many countries, including the US, where around 63% of the population have fluoridated water.

From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2024

Though he could not “conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health,” Chen wrote, he still determined that it posed an “unreasonable risk” of harm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2024

You can smell the sprinkler mist through the open window—mildly chlorinated, heavily fluoridated.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Prof Anne-Marie Glenny, also from the University of Manchester, said the widespread availability of fluoride toothpaste made the impact of fluoridating water less significant.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2025

While fluoridating municipal water is voluntary, towns that do must maintain levels within the state’s recommendations and submit monthly reports to the state Health Department, according to state officials.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2022

Seymour, whose young daughter drinks city water, would “honestly be more concerned if there was a decision to stop fluoridating our water,” she said.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 19, 2019

In the last four years, about 200 municipalities nationwide have stopped fluoridating the water.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2012

Dr. Muhler, who developed Crest, the first patented stannous-fluoride toothpaste, is a staunch supporter of fluoridating water supplies.

From Time Magazine Archive

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