chemical

1 of 2

adjective

chem·​i·​cal ˈke-mi-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry or the phenomena of chemistry

chemical reactions

2

a

: acting or operated or produced by chemicals

a chemical fire extinguisher

b

: detectable by chemical means

chemically

ˈke-mi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

chemical

2 of 2

noun

1

: a substance obtained by a chemical process or producing a chemical effect

2

: drug sense 2

Examples of chemical in a Sentence

Adjective

They studied the compound's chemical structure.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In a study published on November 14th in Geochemical Perspective Letters, the experts explained that isotopic dating and analysis provides chemical evidence that the Lafayette Meteorite mostly likely interacted with liquid water while the rock first formed roughly 742 million years ago. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024

He was first elected in 2023 and is an operations manager for The Lubrizol Corporation, a chemical company. —Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024

Noun

DuPont de Nemours — Stock in the chemicals company gained more than 6% after third-quarter earnings beat Wall Street estimates. —Brian Evans, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024

Its naturally non-stick surface doesn't rely on harmful chemicals often found in nonstick coatings. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

chemic or its source, Medieval Latin chimicus + -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of chemical entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chemical

• chemical castration
• chemical engineering
• chemical laser
• chemical peel
• chemical reaction
• chemical warfare
• chemical weapon
• forever chemical
• multiple chemical sensitivity

Kids Definition

chemical

1 of 2 adjective

chem·​i·​cal ˈkem-i-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry

2

: acting or operated or produced by chemicals

chemically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

chemical

2 of 2 noun

: a substance (as an element or compound) obtained from a chemical process or used to get a chemical result

Medical Definition

chemical

1 of 2 adjective

chem·​i·​cal ˈkem-i-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry

2

a

: acting or operated or produced by chemicals

b

: detectable by chemical means

chemically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

chemical

2 of 2 noun

1

: a substance (as an element or chemical compound) obtained by a chemical process or used for producing a chemical effect

2

: drug sense 2