Teflon

American

[tef-lon] / ˈtɛf lɒn /

Trademark.

a fluorocarbon polymer with slippery, nonsticking properties; polytetrafluoroethylene.

adjective

characterized by imperviousness to blame or criticism.

a Teflon politician.

Teflon British

/ ˈtɛflɒn /

noun

polytetrafluoroethylene, when used in nonstick cooking vessels

"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

adjective

facetious denoting the ability to evade blame

the Teflon president

"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

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:

Teflon

It was the week Wall Street wavered on America’s Teflon economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The team then changed the experiment by allowing the droplets to roll over common materials before they hit the Teflon.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Sales of Chemours’ advanced materials business, which makes Teflon, among other products, fell 4%, to $312 million.

From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026

Even just speaking up could dent his vaunted Teflon shield.

From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2026

Or the reflection from the Teflon cookware display case.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

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