sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsō-dē-əm 

1

: a silver-white soft waxy ductile element of the alkali metal group with atomic number 11 that occurs abundantly in nature in combined form and is very active chemically see Chemical Elements Table

2

: salt sense 1a, sodium chloride

—not used technically

reduced her sodium intake

a low-sodium diet

Examples of sodium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Chaney said getting electrolytes, sodium, potassium and magnesium is extremely important in fast-paced, long games like basketball and hockey. —Sam Jane, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026

Caffeine, alcohol, refined flour or sugar, and high-sodium foods can lead to dehydration and trigger cramps. —Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 31 Dec. 2025

Those materials include sodium perchlorate, ammonium perchlorate precursors and nitrocellulose, all key components in solid-fuel rocket motors. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025

Sodium batteries make electric flight possible The sodium-air fuel cell – designed by a team led by Yet-Ming Chiang, a professor of materials science and engineering at MIT – works by combining liquid sodium with oxygen drawn from the air in a continuous reaction. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from English soda

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sodium

• sodium azide
• sodium benzoate
• sodium bicarbonate
• sodium borohydride
• sodium carbonate
• sodium chlorate
• sodium chloride
• sodium citrate
• sodium cyanide
• sodium fluoride
• sodium fluoroacetate
• sodium hydroxide
• sodium hypochlorite
• sodium lamp
• sodium lauryl sulfate
• sodium metasilicate
• sodium nitrate
• sodium nitrite
• sodium pump
• sodium salicylate
• sodium sulfate
• sodium thiosulfate
• sodium tripolyphosphate
• sodium-vapor lamp

Rhymes for sodium

• odium
• podium
• rhodium
• chenopodium
• lycopodium
• monosodium
• polypodium
• desmodium
• disodium
• plasmodium
• propodeum
• trisodium

Kids Definition

sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsōd-ē-əm 

: a soft waxy silver-white metallic element that is chemically very active and is common in nature in combined form see element

Medical Definition

sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsōd-ē-əm 

: a silver white soft waxy ductile element of the alkali metal group that occurs abundantly in nature in combined form and is very active chemically

—symbol Na see Chemical Elements Table