tantalum

noun

tan·​ta·​lum ˈtan-tə-ləm 

: a gray-white ductile acid-resisting metallic element found combined in rare minerals (such as tantalite and columbite) and used especially in electronic components see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of tantalum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The mines produce coltan — short for columbite-tantalite — an ore from which the metals tantalum and niobium are extracted. —David Yusufu Kibingila, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025

China refines 90 percent of the world’s rare earths; the tantalum in your phone is probably sourced from a mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; its processor likely came from Taiwan. —Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025

Since Trump took office, critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and tantalum, which are arguably as important to the tech world as oil is, have been top of mind. —Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2025

China remains a key supplier of minerals to the U.S., ranking second only to Canada in overall net import reliance, and is the principal import source for many of the 50 minerals America considers critical, such as graphite, tantalum and rubidium. —John Feng, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin Tantalus; from its inability to absorb acid

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tantalum

noun

tan·​ta·​lum ˈtant-ᵊl-əm 

: a gray-white metallic element found in rare minerals and used especially in electronic devices see element

Medical Definition

tantalum

noun

tan·​ta·​lum ˈtant-ᵊl-əm 

: a hard ductile gray-white acid-resisting metallic element of the vanadium family found combined in rare minerals and sometimes used in surgical implants and sutures

—symbol Ta see Chemical Elements Table