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
Many years ago, some synthetic dyes were produced from by-products of coal processing, according to the FDA.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025
Other non-staff expenses have jumped £50.7m (47 per cent), a by-product of having to operate a bigger stadium more frequently.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Scandium can be extracted from mine tailings, or as a by-product of mining for uranium or other metals.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
But a will to shock has never ranked high among Cronenberg’s priorities; the audience’s horror has always felt less like a goal than like a by-product of a rigorously analytical process, in which sensations are subjugated to ideas.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by-product
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Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2025
Other non-staff expenses have jumped £50.7m (47 per cent), a by-product of having to operate a bigger stadium more frequently.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Scandium can be extracted from mine tailings, or as a by-product of mining for uranium or other metals.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
But a will to shock has never ranked high among Cronenberg’s priorities; the audience’s horror has always felt less like a goal than like a by-product of a rigorously analytical process, in which sensations are subjugated to ideas.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 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 7 May. 2025.
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