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
The mineral oil in baby oil is a petroleum by-product.
—Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 26 June 2025
The most obvious by-product of that, for anyone who has used these, is that reasoning models take longer to generate answers.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 19 June 2025
Some of this is an unfortunate by-product of the animals’ burps and farts, but a large volume is produced during the manure storage process.
—Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
Scientists think that this light comes from the biomolecular reactions that generate energy, which create photons as by-products.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for by-product
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Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 26 June 2025
The most obvious by-product of that, for anyone who has used these, is that reasoning models take longer to generate answers.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 19 June 2025
Some of this is an unfortunate by-product of the animals’ burps and farts, but a large volume is produced during the manure storage process.
—Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
Scientists think that this light comes from the biomolecular reactions that generate energy, which create photons as by-products.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 16 June 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 5 Jul. 2025.
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