beneficiation

noun

ben·​e·​fi·​ci·​a·​tion ˌbe-nə-ˌfi-shē-ˈā-shən 

: the treatment of raw material (such as iron ore) to improve physical or chemical properties especially in preparation for smelting

beneficiate

ˌbe-nə-ˈfi-shē-ˌāt 

transitive verb

Examples of beneficiation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The project is part of an aggressive beneficiation strategy championed by the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, which last month suspended lithium concentrate exports and plans to phase them out entirely in favor of higher-value chemical products. —Ray Mwayera, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Redistributing Refining Refining rare earth ore into rare earth oxides begins with a process called beneficiation in the industry. —IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2024

Sorted glass then goes through beneficiation to remove any contamination, such as bottle caps, labels, or metals. —Maria Marabito, Treehugger, 6 Apr. 2023

Copper mines use water for flotation beneficiation – the process of crushing ore and separating useless minerals – smelting and electro-refining. —Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 10 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1881, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for beneficiation

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization
• capitalization