detrimental

1 of 2

adjective

det·​ri·​men·​tal ˌde-trə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce detrimental (audio)
: obviously harmful : damaging
the detrimental effects of pollution
detrimentally adverb

detrimental

2 of 2

noun

det·​ri·​men·​tal ˌde-trə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce detrimental (audio)
: an undesirable or harmful person or thing
Choose the Right Synonym for detrimental

pernicious, baneful, noxious, deleterious, detrimental mean exceedingly harmful.

pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.

the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society

baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.

the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity

noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.

noxious chemical fumes

deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.

a diet found to have deleterious effects

detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.

the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

Examples of detrimental in a Sentence

Adjective In context, the word "corruption" summarized the opinion (set forth in some of the books mentioned in the review) that, as a general matter, the growing financial dependence of the medical profession on the pharmaceutical industry is profoundly detrimental to sound public, medical, and scientific policy. New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
Healthy people can harbor Klebsiella to no detrimental effect; those with debilitating conditions, like liver disease or severe diabetes, or those recovering from major surgery, are most likely to fall ill. Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 11 & 18 Aug. 2008
Unfortunately, tourism, along with dynamite fishing and poaching, has proved detrimental to the park's coral reefs, mangrove complexes, coastal wetlands and marine species. Nature Conservancy Landmarks, Fall 2003
there were serious concerns that the factory's waste was detrimental to the local environment
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Contra Whether phones are detrimental to students’ success is a controversial topic, and some previous research has shown cellphone use during class does more harm than good. Arianna Johnson, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 Excess moisture can be detrimental to some plants, especially thick-leaved succulents, which prefer drier sites. Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2024
Noun
Advertisement But cremation is also an environmental nightmare, requiring huge amounts of energy to incinerate bodies into a highly alkaline and salty ash detrimental to plants and soil in concentrated amounts. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for detrimental 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detrimental.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

detriment + -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of detrimental entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1590, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of detrimental was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near detrimental

Cite this Entry

“Detrimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detrimental. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

detrimental

adjective
det·​ri·​men·​tal
ˌde-trə-ˈment-ᵊl
: harmful
detrimental effects of drug abuse
detrimentally
-ᵊl-ē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on detrimental

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