toxicity

American  

[tok-sis-i-tee] / tɒkˈsɪs ɪ ti /

noun

• toxicities
  plural

1. the quality, relative degree, or specific degree of being toxic or poisonous.

   to determine the toxicity of arsenic.

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toxicity British  

/ tɒkˈsɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the degree of strength of a poison

2. the state or quality of being poisonous

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hypertoxicity
  noun
• nontoxicity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• toxicities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of toxicity

First recorded in 1880–85; toxic + -ity

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toxicity toxicities

She emerged from the reggaeton thunderstorm that hijacked the planet, but then guided it smoothly into a different aesthetic territory, far away from the movement’s misogynistic toxicity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Paraquat is banned in more than 60 countries due to its toxicity but is still allowed in the U.S., and no state uses more of it than California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Once it becomes mobile in this way, it can spread through the environment and create problems because of its toxicity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Simone's brother, Zak told BBC Newsbeat he found the conclusion "pretty ridiculous", as a death certificate issued in Laos lists "methanol toxicity" as one of her causes of death.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

The problem with small pressure vessels is C02 toxicity.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Babies were especially vulnerable to these toxicities, resulting in high rates of infants with birth defects and illnesses.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2024

"The potency of current immunotherapy agents can be readily diminished as the cancer metastasizes and the genome alters. Also, current immunotherapy has been associated with substantial expenses and various toxicities, including neurological events."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2023

But genetically modified wheat has never been grown for commercial purposes due to consumer fears that allergens or toxicities could emerge in a staple used worldwide for bread, pasta and pastries.

From Reuters ● Mar. 3, 2023

The company Fujifilm Irvine Scientific quietly recalled four production lots of the oil used to culture embryos on Jan. 16 after complaints of problems from clinics and its internal investigation discovered the toxicities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2023

She wants to see whether it correctly predicts brewing toxicities and influences how doctors care for patients, perhaps enabling them to prevent hospitalizations by starting immune suppression and other treatments sooner.

From Science Magazine ● Aug. 30, 2022