scandium

American

[skan-dee-uhm] / ˈskæn di əm /

noun

Chemistry.

a rare, trivalent, metallic element obtained from thortveitite. Sc; 44.956; 21; 3.0.

scandium British

/ ˈskændɪəm /

noun

a rare light silvery-white metallic element occurring in minute quantities in numerous minerals. Symbol: Sc; atomic no: 21; atomic wt: 44.955910; valency: 3; relative density: 2.989; melting pt: 1541°C; boiling pt: 2836°C

"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

scandium Scientific

/ skăn′dē-əm /

A soft, silvery, very lightweight metallic element that is found in various rare minerals and is a byproduct in the processing of certain uranium ores. It has a high melting point and is used to make high-intensity lights. Atomic number 21; atomic weight 44.956; melting point 1,540°C; boiling point 2,850°C; specific gravity 2.99; valence 3.
See Periodic Table

Etymology

Origin of scandium

From New Latin, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at Scandia, -ium

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:

scandium

With important electrical and magnetic qualities, rare earths consist of 17 elements in the lanthanide group of the periodic table, plus scandium and yytrium.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026

“The markets are small for those products,” Hopkins said, adding testing continues on the economics of extracting smelter-grade alumina, a key component of the aluminum supply chain, along with scandium and vanadium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

These include scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides, which account for 15 chemical elements in the periodic table.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2025

The region holds deposits of many of the very elements China has placed under export controls: yttrium, scandium, erbium, europium, ytterbium, samarium, and lutetium.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025

In the B funnel scandium B is repeated, with an addition of d 20 and a sextet for a quintet; the sextet is the c of the "nitrogen balloon."

From Occult Chemistry Clairvoyant Observations on the Chemical Elements by A. P. Sinnett

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023