sulfuric acid

noun

: a heavy corrosive oily dibasic strong acid H₂SO₄ that is colorless when pure and is a vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent

Is it sulfur or sulphur?: Usage Guide

The spelling sulfur predominates in U.S. technical usage, while both sulfur and sulphur are common in general usage. British usage tends to favor sulphur for all applications. The same pattern is seen in most of the words derived from sulfur.

Examples of sulfuric acid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Campbell allegedly threw a cup of liquid later determined to be 70% sulfuric acid directly at the woman. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026

China started restricting tungsten exports just over a year ago, and in December called for tighter limits on sulfuric acid exports. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026

The first stage focuses on protecting the instrument from Venus’s highly corrosive environment by filtering out sulfuric acid droplets and fine particles. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026

The protons combine with sulfate ions to make sulfuric acid. —IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sulfuric acid

• antacid
• placid

Kids Definition

sulfuric acid

noun

: a heavy oily strong acid that is colorless when pure and eats away at many solid substances

Medical Definition

sulfuric acid

noun

: a heavy corrosive oily dibasic strong acid H₂SO₄ that is colorless when pure and is a vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent see oil of vitriol