nitric

American

[nahy-trik] / ˈnaɪ trɪk /

adjective

Chemistry.

containing nitrogen, usually in the pentavalent state.
of or relating to niter.

nitric British

/ ˈnaɪtrɪk /

adjective

of or containing nitrogen, esp in the pentavalent state

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

nitric Scientific

/ nī′trĭk /

Containing nitrogen, especially nitrogen with a valence of 5.
Compare nitrous

Other Word Forms

nonnitric adjective

Etymology

Origin of nitric

1785–95; nitr- + -ic, modeled on French nitrique

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The findings highlight the potential importance of developing nitric oxide inhibitors as possible tools for ASD research and treatment.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

Their experiments showed that nitric oxide can modify TSC2 in a way that marks it for removal from the cell.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

A March 2 satellite image of Shiraz, three days into the war, showed a reddish plume near one of the demolished launchers, indicating that nitric acid fuel was leaking from a missile.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Dr. Stamler said nitric oxide acts as a natural brake on fat production in different tissues.

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2026

In words belonging to chemistry derivatives in -ic denote the acid containing most oxygen, when more than one is formed: as nitric acid.

From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023