fertilizer

noun

fer·​til·​iz·​er ˈfər-tə-ˌlī-zər 

: one that fertilizes

specifically : a substance (such as manure or a chemical mixture) used to make soil more fertile

Examples of fertilizer in a Sentence

We only use organic fertilizer in our gardens.

They use chemical fertilizers on their lawn.

Recent Examples on the Web

Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanized farming shifted agriculture from a patchwork of diversified farms to large, monoculture landscapes. —Literary Hub, 27 May 2026

Then the Iran conflict, which sent gas prices surging 60% to 100% and fertilizer costs up 40%, shocks that rippled through supply chains from pharmaceuticals to food to chemicals. —Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

At the same time, rice farmers are using more fertilizers and organic amendments, such as straw and manure, planting more productive rice varieties and growing the plants closer together. —Hanqin Tian, Fortune, 25 May 2026

Any other time, this wouldn’t have mattered — social media exists as the fertilizer for whatever thought passes through our heads. —Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1661, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fertilizer

• complete fertilizer

Rhymes for fertilizer

• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer
• digitizer
• equalizer
• localizer
• merchandiser
• moisturizer

Kids Definition

fertilizer

noun

fer·​til·​iz·​er ˈfərt-ᵊl-ˌī-zər 

: a substance (as manure or a chemical) used to make soil produce larger or more plant life