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• mineral
  mineral

  noun

  any of a class of substances occurring in nature, usually comprising inorganic substances, as quartz or feldspar, of definite chemical composition and usually of definite crystal structure, but sometimes also including rocks formed by these substances as well as certain natural products of organic origin, as asphalt or coal.
• mineral.
  mineral.

  abbreviation

  mineralogical.

mineral

¹ American  

[min-er-uhl, min-ruhl] / ˈmɪn ər əl, ˈmɪn rəl /

noun

minerals plural

1. any of a class of substances occurring in nature, usually comprising inorganic substances, as quartz or feldspar, of definite chemical composition and usually of definite crystal structure, but sometimes also including rocks formed by these substances as well as certain natural products of organic origin, as asphalt or coal.

2. a substance obtained by mining, as ore.

3. (loosely) any substance that is neither animal nor vegetable.

4. British. minerals, mineral water.

5. Nutrition. any of the inorganic elements, as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, or sodium, that are essential to the functioning of the human body and are obtained from foods.

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adjective

1. of the nature of a mineral; pertaining to a mineral or minerals.

2. containing or impregnated with a mineral or minerals.

3. neither animal nor vegetable; inorganic.

   mineral matter.

mineral. ² American  

abbreviation

1. mineralogical.

2. mineralogy.

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mineral ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪnərəl, ˈmɪnrəl /

noun

1. any of a class of naturally occurring solid inorganic substances with a characteristic crystalline form and a homogeneous chemical composition

2. any inorganic matter

3. any substance obtained by mining, esp a metal ore

4. (often plural) short for mineral water

5. Usual US word: soda.  a soft drink containing carbonated water and flavourings

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adjective

1. of, relating to, containing, or resembling minerals

mineral. ² British  

abbreviation

1. mineralogy or mineralogical

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mineral Scientific  

/ mĭn′ər-əl /

1. A naturally occurring, solid, inorganic element or compound having a uniform composition and a regularly repeating internal structure. Minerals typically have a characteristic hardness and color, or range of colors, by which they can be recognized. Rocks are made up of minerals.

2. A natural substance of commercial value, such as iron ore, coal, or petroleum, that is obtained by mining, quarrying, or drilling.

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mineral Cultural  

1. In geology, a naturally occurring inorganic substance (see inorganic molecules) with a definite chemical composition and a regular internal structure.

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Discover More

Rocks are aggregates of minerals.

Most minerals are crystals, like salt and diamonds.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonmineral
  noun
• semimineral
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• minerals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mineral

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle French, Old French mineral, from Medieval Latin minerāle (noun), minerālis (adjective), from miner(a) “mine, ore,” (from Vulgar Latin mināria (unrecorded); equivalent to mine ² + -ary ) + -āle, -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

A mineral is a nonliving natural substance of a definite chemical composition. A mineral like manganese may help keep you healthy; a mineral like a diamond may help keep you sparkly. At one time mineral referred to valuable substances obtained in mines. Although that still can be the case, today the word has several senses (both noun and adjective) and may be found almost anywhere — in the ground, in the air, or on the periodic table. And if you remember mineral when you remember animal and vegetable, you’ve got a better chance of winning Twenty Questions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mineral mineral. minerals

When you throw the switch, you want the light to come on; America’s abundant energy and mineral resources ensure it will.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

By measuring the chemistry of rivers draining the mines, they quantified the extent of acid mine drainage and how much of the water was neutralized through mineral reactions that produce carbon dioxide.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

The NPP politician was found guilty of "assigning mineral rights without approval" and "facilitating an unlicensed mining operation" through his company, Akonta Mining.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

The results, published in ACS Materials Letters, could support skin cancer prevention by making mineral sunscreen more appealing and encouraging regular use among people with a wider variety of skin tones.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

I located several mineral claims & hope to get something out of them.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

“And you know what an animal is — it’s not a vegetable or a mineral. It’s a body, and you know what I’m talking about.”

From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2023

Because metal sulfide minerals dug up during mining can take hundreds to thousands of years to fully react with surface water, they will keep generating emissions long after a mine's reserves are depleted.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

The minerals dried up, leaving the country once named Pleasant Island looking ragged, with large parts of its central areas uninhabitable and extremely challenging to farm.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Some sectors and goods, including energy, potash and fish or critical minerals, will be exempt from the new tariffs, the White House said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Energy, potash, fish and critical minerals are exempt from the new levies.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

Then the other campers found out he wrote home every day, and that he liked poetry and looking for minerals.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• earth
• gravel
• lava
• metal
• rubble
• slab