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Definition of sulfuric

sulfuric

/sʌlˈfjʊr.ɪk/
(UK: sulphuric)
sul · fu · ric
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sulfuric Lexical Profile

sulfuric Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

American Of, relating to, or containing sulfur, especially in a higher valence or +6 oxidation state (as in sulfuric acid).

Example

"Students in the chemistry laboratory wore protective goggles while diluting the concentrated sulfuric acid."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for sulfuric

Word Nuance & Usage

In chemical nomenclature, 'sulfuric' specifically indicates sulfur in its higher oxidation state (+6, as in sulfuric acid), whereas 'sulfurous' refers to a lower oxidation state (+4) or is used more broadly in everyday language to describe a pungent, brimstone-like smell.

• Rhymes for sulfuric

• Nearby Words

sulfide
sulfite
sulfur
sulfuric
sulfurous
sulk
sulker

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the late 18th century from French 'sulfurique', derived from Latin 'sulpur' (brimstone) combined with the chemical suffix '-ique'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sulfuric. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sulfuric
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