chemistry

noun

chem·is·try | \ ˈke-mə-strē

plural chemistries

Definition of chemistry

1 : a science that deals with the composition, structure, and properties of substances and with the transformations that they undergo

2a : the composition and chemical properties of a substance the chemistry of iron

b : chemical processes and phenomena (as of an organism) blood chemistry

3a : a strong mutual attraction, attachment, or sympathy they have a special chemistry

b : interaction between people working together specifically : such interaction when harmonious or effective a team lacking chemistry

Examples of chemistry in a Sentence

studying the chemistry of gasoline They tried dating, but there was no chemistry between them. the chemistry of the office

Recent Examples on the Web

His discovery earned him a one-third share of the Nobel Prize in chemistry and formed the basis of a powerful new scientific tool, enabling biologists to follow the intricate movements of cells and individual proteins by using a fluorescent gene. — Seattle Times Staff & News Services, The Seattle Times, "This week’s passages," 26 Oct. 2018 Half of the $1 million prize went to Frances Arnold, 62, at the California Institute of Technology, the fifth woman ever to receive the Nobel Prize in chemistry. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "3 scientists sped up evolution in a lab. Their work just won a Nobel Prize.," 3 Oct. 2018 Sarah, 20 Now majoring in environmental chemistry, Sarah got into her first-choice school, Middlebury College in Vermont, with early admission and a 2130 on the older version of the SAT. — Fresh U, Teen Vogue, "7 College Students Debate the Importance of Their SAT Scores," 2 Oct. 2018 His father ran a leather tanning business, and McGregor said a young Dr. Smith spent a lot of time cleaning tanks, which fueled an early interest in chemistry and in building bombs, leading at one point to a visit from the FBI. — Dennis Overbye, BostonGlobe.com, "Bradford Smith, 86, dies; showed postcards from outer space," 13 July 2018 And Tyrell Towle, a chemist from Washington state, chose Denver as the spot for his home and job after getting a master's degree in chemistry in Iowa. — Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press, "What Michigan needs to learn from Colorado's legalized marijuana," 12 July 2018 His father ran a leather tanning business, and Ms. McGregor said young Brad spent a lot of time cleaning tanks, which fueled an early interest in chemistry and in building bombs, leading at one point to a visit from the F.B.I. — Dennis Overbye, New York Times, "Bradford Smith, Who Showed Postcards From Outer Space, Dies at 86," 11 July 2018 She was given a full scholarship to Queen's University in Canada to get her Ph.D. in organic chemistry. — Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brookfield company president's wife banned from entering United States," 2 July 2018 Or abrupt changes in chemistry can cause a gap that also mimics the action of a planet. — Joshua Sokol, WIRED, "These Spinning Disks of Gas and Dust Reveal How Planets Get Made," 28 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chemistry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.