chem·i·cal
ˈke-mi-kəl 
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
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
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Researchers have questioned whether African American women's frequent use of chemical hair straighteners, suspected of containing formaldehyde-releasing agents, might explain why breast, uterine and ovarian cancers kill disproportionately more Black than white women.
—Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 8 May 2025
Emma Farge, USA Today, 12 May 2025
Trump cited unfair trade practices as his reason for implementing the levies, and accused Beijing of failing to curb the export of chemicals used to produce fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for chemical
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
After the desalination process is finished, highly concentrated brine and chemical waste is released into offshore tidewaters, wreaking havoc with sensitive coastal ecosystems.
—Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Researchers have questioned whether African American women's frequent use of chemical hair straighteners, suspected of containing formaldehyde-releasing agents, might explain why breast, uterine and ovarian cancers kill disproportionately more Black than white women.
—Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 8 May 2025
Noun
Since taking office in January, Trump has increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, citing unfair trade practices and accusing Beijing of failing to curb the export of chemicals used to produce fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid.
—Emma Farge, USA Today, 12 May 2025
Trump cited unfair trade practices as his reason for implementing the levies, and accused Beijing of failing to curb the export of chemicals used to produce fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for chemical
Cite this Entry
“Chemical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chemical. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chemical
1 of 2 adjective
chem·i·cal
ˈkem-i-kəl
1
: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry
2
: acting or operated or produced by chemicals
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
1
: of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry
2
a
: acting or operated or produced by chemicals
b
: detectable by chemical means
chemical
2 of 2 noun1
: a substance (as an element or chemical compound) obtained by a chemical process or used for producing a chemical effect
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share