stereochemistry

American  

[ster-ee-oh-kem-uh-stree, steer-] / ˌstɛr i oʊˈkɛm ə stri, ˌstɪər- /

noun

1. the branch of chemistry that deals with the determination of the relative positions in space of the atoms or groups of atoms in a compound and with the effects of these positions on the properties of the compound.

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stereochemistry British  

/ ˌstɪər-, ˌstɛrɪəʊˈkɛmɪstrɪ /

noun

1. the study of the spatial arrangement of atoms in molecules and the effect of spatial arrangement on chemical properties

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stereochemistry Scientific  

/ stĕr′ē-ō-kĕm′ĭ-strē /

1. The branch of chemistry that deals with the spatial arrangements of atoms in molecules and with the chemical and physical effects of these arrangements.

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Other Word Forms

• stereochemic
  adjective
• stereochemical
  adjective
• stereochemically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of stereochemistry

First recorded in 1885–90; stereo- + chemistry

Example Sentences

Those groups must be positioned with the correct orientation, or stereochemistry, relative to the rest of the molecule.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2025

Adding the carbon-sulfur bonds late in the process failed to deliver the correct stereochemistry, forcing the team to redesign the entire order of steps.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2025

Subsequent investigation into the absolute stereochemistry confirmed the D-ribose configuration, thereby reinforcing the planar structure of this compound.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2024

This discovery became the foundation of a subdiscipline of chemistry known as stereochemistry, which is the study of the spatial arrangement of atoms within molecules.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2022

In about an hour I had arranged the atoms in positions which satisfied both the X-ray data and the laws of stereochemistry.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson