English Reference
Noun

toxicity

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /tɑkˈsɪsəti/ UK /tɒksˈɪsɪti/ tox·i·c·i·ty UK spelling toxicities

n.the quality of being poisonous or harmful to living things. It can also describe a situation or relationship that is very negative and damaging to your mental health.

n.the degree to which a substance can damage an organism, or the quality of being poisonous. In social contexts, refers to harmful, manipulative, or destructive behavior within a group or relationship.


SIMPLE

The scientists are testing the toxicity of the new chemical.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager resigned because the toxicity of the office environment was affecting his health.

COMPLEX

Environmental regulations aim to limit the toxicity of industrial runoff to protect local aquatic ecosystems from long-term damage.

Usage

Uncountable in most contexts; can be used with 'of' to specify the source of the harm.

One thing we try to stress in the paper is that it's not like these communities fall off a cliff of toxicity.

Phys.org· 13 Aug 2026

From toxic + -ity.

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

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated