nontoxic

British  

/ nɒnˈtɒksɪk /

adjective

1. not of, relating to, or caused by a toxin or poison

   safe, nontoxic paint

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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.

Example Sentences

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

There’s another nontoxic tactic in play: educating the public to report possible infestations and burn firewood where they buy it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 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 splintered fluorine atoms, the researchers report, are safely sequestered by reacting them with potassium hydride in solution to form potassium fluoride, a nontoxic ingredient in toothpaste.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 20, 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

Related Words

• gentle
• innocent
• innocuous
• inoffensive
• naive
• painless
• powerless
• simple