chemical

1 of 2

adjective

chem·​i·​cal ˈke-mi-kəl How to pronounce chemical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry or the phenomena of chemistry
chemical reactions
2
a
: acting or operated or produced by chemicals
a chemical fire extinguisher
b
: detectable by chemical means
chemically adverb

chemical

2 of 2

noun

1
: a substance obtained by a chemical process or producing a chemical effect
2

Examples of chemical in a Sentence

Adjective They studied the compound's chemical structure.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Workers have complained of chemical burns from the waste material generated by the tunneling process, and firefighters must decontaminate their equipment after conducting rescues from the project sites. Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025 Sustainability data and analytics company Worldly has acquired GoBlu, creators of chemical inventory management, traceability and compliance platform The BHive. Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
Federal police are examining whether the chemical used by clandestine factories was purchased from gas stations and later diverted to illicit alcohol production. Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025 Never use bleach to clean the toilet tank as this harsh chemical can damage the tank's interior and lead to faster corrosion. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chemical

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

chemic or its source, Medieval Latin chimicus + -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of chemical entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chemical was in 1576

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chemical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chemical. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

chemical

1 of 2 adjective
chem·​i·​cal ˈkem-i-kəl How to pronounce chemical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry
2
: acting or operated or produced by chemicals
chemically adverb

chemical

2 of 2 noun
: a substance (as an element or compound) obtained from a chemical process or used to get a chemical result

Medical Definition

chemical

1 of 2 adjective
chem·​i·​cal ˈkem-i-kəl How to pronounce chemical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry
2
a
: acting or operated or produced by chemicals
b
: detectable by chemical means
chemically adverb

chemical

2 of 2 noun
1
: a substance (as an element or chemical compound) obtained by a chemical process or used for producing a chemical effect
2

More from Merriam-Webster on chemical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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