toxicity

noun

tox·​ic·​i·​ty täk-ˈsi-sə-tē 

plural toxicities

: the quality or state of being toxic: such as

a

: the quality, state, or relative degree of being poisonous

measuring the toxicity level of the soil

The toxicity of some chemical agents degrades significantly over time, so it is unclear how lethal the stockpiles are.

—David S. Cloud

Administering a cocktail of drugs would dilute the toxicities of the different drugs and minimize the development of viral resistance to them.

—Rudy M. Baum and Ron Dagani

b

: an extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful quality

In the past few days, I've tuned in to C-SPAN to watch a number of the televised Senate debates, which illustrate all too vividly the toxicity of an uncivil tongue.

—Connie Schultz

In much of the ensuing commentary, court watchers worried that the justices' soaring rates of written dissents, nasty and personal attacks and scathing remarks read aloud from the bench bespeak a new toxicity in Supreme Court discourse.

—Dahlia Lithwick

Did you know?

Toxicity is often a relative thing; in the words of a famous old saying, "The dose makes the poison". Thus, it's possible to die from drinking too much water, and lives have been saved by tiny doses of arsenic. Even though botulinum toxin is the most toxic substance known, it's the basic ingredient in Botox, which is injected into the face to get rid of wrinkles. With some poisons, mere skin contact can be lethal; others are lethal when breathed into the lungs in microscopic amounts. To determine if a chemical will be officially called a poison, researchers often use the "LD50" test: If 50 milligrams of the substance for every kilogram of an animal's body weight results in the death of 50% of test animals, the chemical is a poison. But there are problems with such tests, and toxicity remains a very individual concept.

Examples of toxicity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Daffodils are differentiated from other flowers that grow from bulbs by their toxicity. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 30 Mar. 2024

Despite all this, the general vibe is that there’s no ill-will toward Levinson, at least on the cast side, who still seems very supportive of him despite the delays and previous seemingly-not-true reports about set toxicity. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

This is important information that will help the vet determine the level of toxicity and know how to treat your dog. —Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024

Signs and symptoms of brain toxicity may include cognitive impairment, weak limbs, slowed reaction time, and slurred speech. —Amanda MacMillan, Health, 26 Mar. 2024

More serious side effects of excessive choline supplementation are liver toxicity and the concern over-production of TMAO, depending on the type of choline supplement taken. —Casey Seiden, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024

Benedict’s cause of death, revealed in an autopsy report, was ruled as toxicity from diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, and fluoxetine, an anti-depression medication. —Will Carless, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024

Environments marred by negativity or toxicity, devoid of psychological safety and inclusivity, force employees into a defensive stance to shield their mental and emotional well-being, ultimately resulting in disengagement. —Naz Beheshti, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024

Reports emerged in October of children with elevated blood lead levels, indicating potential acute lead toxicity, that was associated with cinnamon applesauce products sold in the United States under the brands WanaBana, Weis and Schnucks. —Katherine Dillinger, CNN, 6 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

toxicity

noun

tox·​ic·​i·​ty täk-ˈsis-ət-ē 

plural toxicities

: the quality, state, or relative degree of being toxic or poisonous