sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsō-dē-əm 

1

: a silver-white soft waxy ductile element of the alkali metal group with atomic number 11 that occurs abundantly in nature in combined form and is very active chemically see Chemical Elements Table

2

: salt sense 1a, sodium chloride

—not used technically

reduced her sodium intake

a low-sodium diet

Examples of sodium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are a number of products on the market that contain essential oils, like clove or citrus, sodium or ammonium derivatives or even acetic acid (vinegar). —Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2026

Hyponatremia, the Mayo Clinic explains, is a kidney disorder that happens when sodium drops below the normal range, causing seizures, vomiting, nausea, confusion, and in some cases, coma. —Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026

The sodium-ion system can reportedly reduce energy storage costs by around 20 percent compared with conventional solutions. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026

White liquor, which is used to break down wood into paper pulp, is made up of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate, authorities said. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from English soda

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sodium

• sodium azide
• sodium benzoate
• sodium bicarbonate
• sodium borohydride
• sodium carbonate
• sodium chlorate
• sodium chloride
• sodium citrate
• sodium cyanide
• sodium fluoride
• sodium fluoroacetate
• sodium hydroxide
• sodium hypochlorite
• sodium lamp
• sodium lauryl sulfate
• sodium metasilicate
• sodium nitrate
• sodium nitrite
• sodium pump
• sodium salicylate
• sodium sulfate
• sodium thiosulfate
• sodium tripolyphosphate
• sodium-vapor lamp

Rhymes for sodium

• chenopodium
• lycopodium
• monosodium
• polypodium
• disodium
• plasmodium
• propodeum
• trisodium
• odium
• podium
• rhodium

Kids Definition

sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsōd-ē-əm 

: a soft waxy silver-white metallic element that is chemically very active and is common in nature in combined form see element

Medical Definition

sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsōd-ē-əm 

: a silver white soft waxy ductile element of the alkali metal group that occurs abundantly in nature in combined form and is very active chemically

—symbol Na see Chemical Elements Table