English Reference

Word

mineralogy

Phoneticsmin·er·al·o·gy

US/ˌmɪnɝˈɑɫədʒi/

UK/mˌɪnəɹˈælədʒi/

Definition

n. the scientific study of minerals. This includes looking at how they form, their chemical makeup, and their physical properties.

n. the branch of geology concerned with the study of minerals, including their chemical composition, physical properties, and formation processes.

Examples

“She decided to study mineralogy to understand how rocks are formed.”

“The museum's mineralogy collection features over five thousand different types of crystals and gemstones.”

“Advances in mineralogy have allowed researchers to identify trace elements within ancient meteorites, providing critical evidence for the early chemical evolution of our solar system.”

Examples

simple

“She decided to study mineralogy to understand how rocks are formed.”

contextual

“The museum's mineralogy collection features over five thousand different types of crystals and gemstones.”

complex

“Advances in mineralogy have allowed researchers to identify trace elements within ancient meteorites, providing critical evidence for the early chemical evolution of our solar system.”

Real-World Examples

“The instrument behind the findings is SuperCam , which perches on the rover's mast and determines the mineralogy of geologic features based on the light they reflect.”
Phys.org · 21 Sept 2026

Etymology

From New Latin minerālogia, from Medieval Latin minera (“mineral”) + Latin -logia (“study”). By surface analysis, mineral + -logy.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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