seltzer
noun
a naturally effervescent mineral water containing common salt and small quantities of sodium, calcium, and magnesium carbonates.
seltzer
American
[selt-ser]
/ ˈsɛlt sər /
noun
-
seltzers
plural
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) a naturally effervescent mineral water containing common salt and small quantities of sodium, calcium, and magnesium carbonates.
-
tap water that has been commercially filtered, carbonated, and bottled with no addition of minerals or mineral salts.
Seltzer
British
/ ˈsɛltsə /
noun
-
a natural effervescent water with a high content of minerals
-
a similar synthetic water, used as a beverage
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of seltzer
1735–45; < German Selterser named after Selters, a village near Wiesbaden; see -er 1
Compare meaning
How does seltzer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
You can call carbonated, fizzy water seltzer. Sometimes people who are trying to drink less soda enjoy drinking seltzer instead. Seltzer is simply water with bubbles added, via dissolved carbon dioxide gas. You can also call seltzer "soda water," "sparkling water," or "club soda." In the U.K., seltzer is considered so old-fashioned that it's nearly obsolete, but it's common in the U.S. Soda water is the original name, from the sodium that was once added. Seltzer comes from the German town Selters, famous for its natural mineral springs.
Vocabulary lists containing seltzer
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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:
Its nonbeer portfolio is the fastest-growing part of the business, as its Fever-Tree brand of drink mixers and Topo Chico hard seltzer are resonating with consumers, executives said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Hydrating, bright and occasionally punchy, it makes a surprisingly satisfying soda or seltzer replacement.
From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2026
I drank seltzer at weddings and took my 83-year-old father to stressful doctors’ appointments without later unwinding with a martini.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2024
The symbol Nakagawa drew on the box of seltzer, though it resembled a swastika, was not accurately drawn like either of the two.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
Mom took her laptop into her bedroom and came out only to refill her seltzer glass.
From "George" by Alex Gino
Mr. Joseph, an educational-game consultant and a co-founder of the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum, offers a jumble of anecdotes and reflections about Sondheim’s creations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
This discovery lit a spark for Dr. Seltzer and her team: What if some insects actually interpret those sounds and use them to make decisions?
From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
In other "How is everyody doing?" news this month, beverage brand Truly Hard Seltzer announced an "ultra-limited edition" Hot Wing Sauce flavored edition of their product.
From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2024
“We’re very courageous, you and I, because we don’t stop talking,” Seltzer told Quaizar.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
“It’s only thirty kilometers from Leningrad, Elena,” Dr. Seltzer had told Mother.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
Joe Gerrity, the CEO of Crescent Canna, which sells hemp-infused seltzers, told Salon that from the hemp side of things, there’s the perception that “Republicans are a lot stronger.”
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Craft beer and hard seltzers fizzled out after a few years of explosive growth, for instance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Orange juice had even lost the battle for shelf space to seltzers and energy drinks and kombucha and more.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
Constellation has pushed into faster-growing categories, including low-alcohol offerings like hard seltzers and nonalcoholic drinks such as Hiyo, a botanical-infused tonic.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
Carbonated waters are to be especially avoided, such as soda, seltzers, Preblauer, Geisshubler, and acid waters; also champagne and beer, heavy Italian, Spanish, and English wines.
From The Four Epochs of Woman's Life; a study in hygiene by Anna M. (Anna Mary) Galbraith
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.
