acidic

American  

[uh-sid-ik] / əˈsɪd ɪk /

adjective

1. acid.

2. Geology. acid.

3. acid-forming.

4. containing acid-bearing pollutants.

   Acidic runoff is poisoning the nation's rivers.

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acidic British  

/ əˈsɪdɪk /

adjective

1. another word for acid

2. (of an oxide) yielding an acid in aqueous solution

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Other Word Forms

• nonacidic adjective
• semiacidic adjective
• unacidic adjective

Etymology

Origin of acidic

First recorded in 1875–80; acid + -ic

Explanation

Something that's acidic has a sour or sharp taste. Lemonade, especially if it's light on the sugar, tastes very acidic. Citrus fruits have a typically acidic flavor, and they qualify as acidic in the scientific definition of the word as well. In chemistry, something that's acidic has a low pH, as opposed to a base, which has a higher pH. Various kinds of acids and vinegar are also acidic. The word comes from acid, which originally meant "of the taste of vinegar," from the Latin word acidus, "sour or sharp."

Example Sentences

Those distracting acidic greens are only one unusual choice in Pontormo’s palette.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Such condensation can be “highly acidic and dangerous, causing chemical burns to the skin and severe lung damage,” the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization warned, according to NBC News.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

These enzymes become active as the dough grows more acidic during fermentation.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

“It’s not acidic or negative. I genuinely love doing this,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Her throat was closing up from the heat and the acidic air.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• sour