mineral

noun

Save Word

min·er·al | \ ˈmin-rəl, ˈmi-nə-

Definition of mineral

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : ore

2 : an inorganic substance (as in the ash of calcined tissue)

3 obsolete : mine

4 : something neither animal nor vegetable

5a : a solid homogeneous crystalline chemical element or compound that results from the inorganic processes of nature broadly : any of various naturally occurring homogeneous substances (such as stone, coal, salt, sulfur, sand, petroleum, water, or natural gas) obtained usually from the ground

b : a synthetic substance having the chemical composition and crystalline form and properties of a naturally occurring mineral

6 minerals plural, British : mineral water

mineral

adjective

Definition of mineral (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of or relating to minerals also : inorganic

2 : impregnated with mineral substances

Examples of mineral in a Sentence

Noun an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The plans for Kvanefjeld had long been paused, according to Zane Cooper, an anthropologist at the University of Pennsylvania who studies how communities respond to mineral extraction. — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, "Greenland’s Rare-Earth Election," 3 May 2021 But some Greenlanders see allowing other nations to extract their valuable mineral resources as a new form of colonialism. — Washington Post, "How an election in Greenland could affect China — and the rare earth minerals that go into your cell phone," 8 Apr. 2021 Auditors last year cautioned that a fund set up to benefit Utah’s rural communities was actually pumping money into projects that could increase the toll that mineral extraction takes on these regions. — Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Environmental groups say a new state law on mineral revenues is a win for fossil fuels, a blow for rural Utah," 30 Mar. 2021 DeepGreen Metals and its subsidiaries hold exploration contracts for mineral resources on the seafloor estimated to be enough to help power 280 million electric cars, according to a news release. — Josh Siegel, Washington Examiner, "Daily on Energy: A hint that China doesn’t have plans to fulfill climate promises," 5 Mar. 2021 Offering monopolies to foreigners looking to tap into Congo’s rich mineral resources was a way for Mr. Kabila to raise cash needed to fight the war. — Eric Lipton, New York Times, "Tough Sanctions, Then a Mysterious Last-Minute Turnabout," 21 Feb. 2021 Rebecca Fischer, a mineral physicist and modeler at Harvard University, isn’t surprised at the signs of a liquid core. — Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, "Mars lander spots deep layers beneath the surface, offering clues to the planet’s formation," 15 Dec. 2020 Toilet tank interiors are often badly stained with mineral deposits, sediment, and rust. — Fran Aliwalas, Popular Mechanics, "Master These Three Parts to Tackle Any Toilet Problem," 15 Apr. 2021 This could be anything from soap scum, dirt, grime, mineral deposits, or dead skin. — Tamara Gane, Southern Living, "The Best Way to Clean Glass Shower Doors," 15 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Experts predict a nearly 500% increase in mineral demand created by the push to decarbonize the world. — Mike Dunleavy, WSJ, "Alaska’s Energy Industry Is as Clean as It Gets," 30 Apr. 2021 One key difference is that while Japan is scarce in mineral resources, the US and Europe have sizable rare earth reserves. — Mary Hui, Quartz, "Japan’s global rare earths quest holds lessons for the US and Europe," 23 Apr. 2021 This softener is able to process extremely mineral-dense water, and is particularly well suited to high iron levels. — Gabrielle Hondorp, Popular Mechanics, "The 5 Best Water Softeners to Tame the Hardest H2O," 14 Sep. 2020 The endpoint: rustic Burgdorf Hot Springs, which has three mineral-rich pools that have been lowering blood pressure since 1870. — Jen Murphy, Town & Country, "The Best Outdoor Adventures in America," 18 Dec. 2020 The incoming Biden administration could expand the initiative to cover broader mineral supply chains. — Ian J. Lynch, The New Republic, "Why Can’t the SEC Just Agree That Bribing Foreign Governments Is Bad?," 16 Dec. 2020 In 1981, geologists conducting a mineral survey in a cement quarry in Balasinor, Gujarat, in western India, stumbled upon thousands of fossilized dinosaur eggs. — Kalpana Sunder, The Christian Science Monitor, "India’s fossil heritage is vast. It’s also under threat.," 2 Dec. 2020 In other letters to the family, Henry B. talks about mineral rights on Texas public lands and his hope to establish a panel to take up such matters. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "Ayala: San Antonio family grapples with memories of a South Texas ranch, a land grant and border killings," 1 Dec. 2020 Sooner or later, however, the beads reach maximum capacity and can’t attract any more mineral ions. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How a Water Softener Works (And Why You Might Want One)," 20 Aug. 2020

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