ytterbium
noun
yt·ter·bi·um
i-ˈtər-bē-əm 
: a soft metallic element of the rare-earth group that occurs especially with other rare earth elements in minerals and that has few commercial uses see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of ytterbium in a Sentence
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Among the recovered materials, dysprosium, ytterbium, and erbium are considered high-value due to strong demand and limited substitutes, while yttrium and gadolinium are widely used in electronics, lighting, and healthcare.
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
The breakthrough was the development of solid-state lasers that use bundles of glass fibers doped with exotic elements like ytterbium, erbium, and thulium along with aluminum, germanium, and phosphorus.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
Earlier this month, China added five rare-earth elements – holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, ytterbium, and related magnets and materials – to its existing control list, requiring export licenses.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Ions of ytterbium and other such lanthanides have the right structure of electron orbitals to facilitate this process.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Oct. 2025
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
The breakthrough was the development of solid-state lasers that use bundles of glass fibers doped with exotic elements like ytterbium, erbium, and thulium along with aluminum, germanium, and phosphorus.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
Earlier this month, China added five rare-earth elements – holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, ytterbium, and related magnets and materials – to its existing control list, requiring export licenses.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Ions of ytterbium and other such lanthanides have the right structure of electron orbitals to facilitate this process.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ytterbium
Cite this Entry
“Ytterbium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ytterbium. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ytterbium
noun
yt·ter·bi·um
i-ˈtər-bē-əm
: a metallic element that occurs in several minerals see element
Medical Definition
ytterbium
noun
yt·ter·bi·um
i-ˈtər-bē-əm
: a bivalent or trivalent metallic element of the rare-earth group that resembles yttrium and occurs with it and related elements in several minerals
—symbol Yb
see Chemical Elements Table
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