chemical
n. countablen. a substance that is made by a scientific process or that exists naturally in the world. You often hear this word when people talk about science, cleaning products, or things added to food.
n. a distinct substance produced by or used in a chemical process. Often used in the plural to refer to synthetic or industrial substances, though technically applicable to any pure element or compound.
The factory must safely dispose of every chemical.
Farmers are looking for ways to grow crops without using any harmful chemicals to kill insects.
The laboratory technician carefully labeled each container to ensure that no reactive chemical was stored near a heat source or an incompatible substance.
From chemic (“alchemy”) + -al (“related to”).
Frequently used in the plural ('chemicals') when referring to industrial or agricultural substances.