1
: a soft black lustrous form of carbon that conducts electricity and is used in lead pencils and electrolytic anodes, as a lubricant, and as a moderator in nuclear reactors
2
: a composite material in which carbon fibers are the reinforcing material
Examples of graphite in a Sentence
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The new SIgnature Comfort Plus products are available in off white as well as black and graphite colors.
—
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Nude or near-nude, pert or pendulous of breast and bare or near-bare of pudendum, these women—rendered with great verve and skill, mostly in oils, but, occasionally, in pastels, graphite, collage, or watercolor—are sexy in a pornographic, girly-mag sort of way.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
China has already imposed export controls on lithium-ion batteries and graphite anodes — controls that took effect in November 2025 and remain in place, with a temporary suspension of enhanced licensing requirements currently in force through November 2026.
—Gene Berdichevsky, Fortune, 14 May 2026
During the Trinity blast, sand swept into the ensuing fireball was exposed to temperatures higher than 1,500 degrees Celsius and pressures of several gigapascals—that’s tens of thousands of times normal atmospheric pressure and enough to squeeze graphite into diamond.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
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Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Nude or near-nude, pert or pendulous of breast and bare or near-bare of pudendum, these women—rendered with great verve and skill, mostly in oils, but, occasionally, in pastels, graphite, collage, or watercolor—are sexy in a pornographic, girly-mag sort of way.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
China has already imposed export controls on lithium-ion batteries and graphite anodes — controls that took effect in November 2025 and remain in place, with a temporary suspension of enhanced licensing requirements currently in force through November 2026.
—Gene Berdichevsky, Fortune, 14 May 2026
During the Trinity blast, sand swept into the ensuing fireball was exposed to temperatures higher than 1,500 degrees Celsius and pressures of several gigapascals—that’s tens of thousands of times normal atmospheric pressure and enough to squeeze graphite into diamond.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for graphite
Cite this Entry
“Graphite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graphite. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
graphite
noun
graph·ite
ˈgraf-ˌīt 
: a soft shiny black carbon that is used in making lead pencils and as a dry lubricant
Medical Definition
graphite
noun
graph·ite
ˈgraf-ˌīt
: carbon of a soft black lustrous form that conducts electricity and is used in lead pencils and electrolytic anodes, as a lubricant, and as a moderator in nuclear reactors
called also plumbago
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