Chemical

How to spell chemical

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce chemical

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does chemical mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to or produced by the composition, properties, or reactions of substances.
2. nounA substance produced by or used in a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules.

Chemical in a sentence

• adjective

  The factory follows strict rules to control chemical waste.

• noun

  The cleaning product contained a harsh chemical that irritated her skin.

• adjective

  Rust forms through a slow chemical reaction with oxygen.

• noun

  Workers must store every chemical in clearly labelled containers.

Where does chemical come from?

Language of origin: Arabic

The word traces back to the practice of alchemy, the medieval forerunner of chemistry, and ultimately to the Arabic al-kimiya, meaning 'the art of transmutation'. That Arabic term itself may rest on the Greek khemia, an old name connected to Egypt and the working of metals. By the 1500s English had 'chymical', an adjective relating to alchemy, and as the discipline matured into modern science the spelling settled as 'chemical' and the meaning shifted to anything concerning the composition and reactions of substances. The noun sense, naming a particular substance produced or used in chemistry, grew up alongside it. The trap in spelling is the unstressed second syllable, the 'i' in -ical, which the ear barely registers; remembering its relatives 'chemistry' and 'chemist' keeps the 'chem' stem firmly in mind.

How the word is built

• chem- (from chemistry, ultimately the art of alchemy)
• -ic (adjective suffix)
• -al (adjective/noun suffix)