lithium

noun

lith·​i·​um ˈli-thē-əm How to pronounce lithium (audio)
1
: a chemical element of the alkali metal group that is the lightest metal known and that is used especially in alloys and glass, in mechanical lubricants, and in storage batteries see Chemical Elements Table
2
: a salt of lithium (such as lithium carbonate) used in psychiatric medicine

Examples of lithium in a Sentence

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That’s at least 100 million lithium batteries for Texas and California alone. — Bob Woods, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025 As the extraction of copper and lithium ramps up to meet soaring global demand, astronomers working in the area worry that the Chilean desert’s status as the ‘eyes of the world’ could be in jeopardy. — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 Why is Trump so keen on a minerals deal with Ukraine? Materials such as graphite, lithium, uranium and the 17 chemical elements known as rare earths are critical for economic growth and national security. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025 Between 2017 and 2023 alone, demand for lithium increased by 266 percent; demand for cobalt rose by 83 percent; and demand for nickel jumped by 46 percent. — Daniel Yergin, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lithium

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin (in German context) Lithium, taken as the metallic component of the alkali Lithion, probably based on Greek litheîon, neuter of litheîos "of stone," derivative of líthos "stone, rock," of obscure origin

Note: The alkali was discovered and analyzed, apparently in late 1817, by the Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson (1792-1841), who at the time was working in the Stockholm laboratory of J.J. berzelius. Berzelius reported on the discovery and named the components in letters written to the editors of learned publications, as J. S. C. Schweiggers' Journal für Chemie und Physik. Schweiggers published the letter, dated January 27, 1818, as "Ein neues mineralisches Alkali und ein Neues Metall" ("a new mineral alkali and a new metal") in vol. 21 of the journal (pp. 44-48). According to Berzelius, "we have named it [the new alkali] Lithion, thereby alluding to its first discovery in the mineral kingdom, as the two others [the alkali metals sodium and potassium] were first discovered in organic substances [literally, "organic nature"]. Its radical will then be named Lithium." ("Wir haben es Lithion genannt, um dadurch auf seine erste Entdeckung im Mineralreich anzuspielen, da die beiden anderen erst in der organischen Natur entdeckt wurden. Sein Radical wird dann Lithium genannt werden.")

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lithium was in 1818

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“Lithium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lithium. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

lithium

noun
lith·​i·​um ˈlith-ē-əm How to pronounce lithium (audio)
: a soft silver-white element that is the lightest metal known see element

Medical Definition

lithium

noun
lith·​i·​um ˈlith-ē-əm How to pronounce lithium (audio)
1
: a soft silver-white element of the alkali metal group that is the lightest metal known and that is used in chemical synthesis and in storage batteries
—symbol Li see Chemical Elements Table
2
: a lithium salt and especially lithium carbonate used in psychiatric medicine

More from Merriam-Webster on lithium

Nglish: Translation of lithium for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lithium

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