by-product
noun
by-prod·uct
ˈbī-ˌprä-(ˌ)dəkt 
variants
or byproduct
plural by-products or byproducts
1
: something produced in a usually industrial or biological process in addition to the principal product
Sulfured molasses is a by-product of sugar refining.—
Wayne Gisslen
Wayne GisslenSmall amounts of amyloid beta are generated as an ordinary metabolic byproduct and are believed to do no harm, but larger amounts seem to be tied to Alzheimer's.—January W. Payne
January W. PayneMeat by-products are parts other than meat, including organs, blood and bone …—Amy D. Shojai
Amy D. ShojaiAmong the most commonly occurring and thoroughly studied chlorination byproducts are trihalomethanes …—Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports2
: a secondary and sometimes unexpected or unintended result
Japan's success as an international exporter of manufactured goods is a by-product of the volatile trade among Japanese cities.—Jane Jacobs
Jane JacobsAs investor confidence grows, overspending and overborrowing are typically byproducts of an aging bull market.—Carolyn Bigda
Carolyn BigdaOne of the by-products of the information age is an increasing number of data formats.—John Was
John WasExamples of by-product in a Sentence
hydrogen is one by-product of that chemical reaction
Recent Examples on the Web
At the same time, soot, spatter, and other by-products are continuously extracted through a dedicated outlet, ensuring a cleaner build environment and higher part integrity.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Spacial designer Caroline Chao will present the Roll-Up Chair, a work that was originally commissioned by G-Star and is made entirely by-products from construction and fashion industries.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2025
Though oxygen is the by-product of making plant matter from CO2 through photosynthesis, to build oxygen up to appreciable levels, vast seas of this organic carbon have to be buried in the crust as fossil fuels.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
The extra-fingers phenomenon seen in diffusion models was similarly a direct by-product of the model’s hyperfixation on generating local patches of pixels without any kind of broader context.
—Webb Wright, Wired News, 24 Aug. 2025
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Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Spacial designer Caroline Chao will present the Roll-Up Chair, a work that was originally commissioned by G-Star and is made entirely by-products from construction and fashion industries.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2025
Though oxygen is the by-product of making plant matter from CO2 through photosynthesis, to build oxygen up to appreciable levels, vast seas of this organic carbon have to be buried in the crust as fossil fuels.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
The extra-fingers phenomenon seen in diffusion models was similarly a direct by-product of the model’s hyperfixation on generating local patches of pixels without any kind of broader context.
—Webb Wright, Wired News, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by-product
Cite this Entry
“By-product.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by-product. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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