nontoxic
Britishadjective
Explanation
Nontoxic things aren't poisonous. It's generally safe to eat or breathe nontoxic substances, and they don't harm the environment. It's a good thing if the ingredients in your dish soap are nontoxic — it means the suds washing down the drain won't be harmful to the environment, and the residue left on your dishes won't hurt you, either. You can use the adjective nontoxic to distinguish something from its more dangerous, toxic variation. Toxic waste poisons the groundwater or makes nearby animals sick, but nontoxic waste tends to break down without any negative consequences.
Vocabulary lists containing nontoxic
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.
And a larger yellow zone is an area where the chemical can be smelled, but at nontoxic levels.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
First, if I want to buy new, nontoxic, sustainably made living-room furniture, I need to have a clear idea of what I want.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026
The soft and flexible gel is made with water and a choline based liquid that is antibacterial, nontoxic, and biocompatible.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2026
Ceramic nonstick cookware: A popular new class of nonstick cookware, these candy-colored ceramic pans — such as the Instagram-famous Always Pan — are often marketed as nontoxic.
From Salon ● Dec. 9, 2024
The agent of his demise was wild potato, H. alpinum, the species plainly identified as nontoxic in Tanaina Plantlore.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
