her·bi·ci·dal
¦(h)ər-bə-¦sī-dᵊl 
1
: of or relating to an herbicide
2
: having the ability to destroy plants
herbicidal agents
herbicidally
adverb
A gene expression profile of a compound identified as herbicidally active in the greenhouse is compared with the already existing profiles in the database.
—
Modern Methods in Crop Protection Research, 2012
Modern Methods in Crop Protection Research, 2012
Examples of herbicide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Avoid spraying on windy days which can carry herbicide away from the target plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
Grass clippings from a lawn that has been recently treated with a herbicide (including herbicides mixed in with your fertilizer) should not be used as mulch.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 11 June 2026
Supervisor Katrina Foley initially introduced a proposal to phase out herbicide spraying in waterways across the county and identify safer alternatives to manage vegetation.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for herbicide
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Other methods of controlling invasive species, such as herbicides or grazing, do not destroy invasive seeds the way fire does.
—Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Avoid spraying on windy days which can carry herbicide away from the target plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
Grass clippings from a lawn that has been recently treated with a herbicide (including herbicides mixed in with your fertilizer) should not be used as mulch.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 11 June 2026
Supervisor Katrina Foley initially introduced a proposal to phase out herbicide spraying in waterways across the county and identify safer alternatives to manage vegetation.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for herbicide
Cite this Entry
“Herbicide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herbicide. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
herbicide
noun
her·bi·cide
ˈ(h)ər-bə-ˌsīd
: a chemical substance used to destroy or stop plant growth
Medical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
