ceramic

1 of 2

adjective

ce·​ram·​ic sə-ˈra-mik 

especially British kə-

: of or relating to the manufacture of any product (such as earthenware, porcelain, or brick) made essentially from a nonmetallic mineral (such as clay) by firing at a high temperature

also : of or relating to such a product

ceramic

2 of 2

noun

1

ceramics sə-ˈra-miks 

especially British kə-

plural in form but singular in construction : the art or process of making ceramic articles

2

: a product of ceramic manufacture

Examples of ceramic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The phone is metal, ceramic, and glass, but the backs are textured polycarbonate. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026

Turbine blades are manufactured with a complicated process out of very specialized combinations of metal and coated with ceramic heat shields. — Jasmine Garland, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026

Noun

Calvin Marcus, the fanatically talented and free-wheeling Los Angeles painter, has new and recent paintings, drawings, and ceramics installed alongside work by the great Belgian weirdo James Ensor. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Nov. 2026

Sharp had worked in public relations and was also a gifted ceramics artist who created minimalistic vases and softly sloping bowls. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Greek keramikos, from keramos potter's clay, pottery

First Known Use

Adjective

1850, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ceramic

• dynamic
• thalamic
• aerodynamic
• geodynamic
• haemodynamic
• hemodynamic
• hydrodynamic
• hypothalamic
• photodynamic
• psychodynamic
• spinothalamic
• thermodynamic

Kids Definition

ceramic

1 of 2 adjective

ce·​ram·​ic sə-ˈram-ik 

: of or relating to the manufacture of a product (as earthenware, porcelain, or brick) made from a nonmetallic mineral by heating at high temperatures

ceramic

2 of 2 noun

1

plural : the art of making ceramic articles

2

: a product of ceramic manufacture