lanthanide
noun
lan·tha·nide
ˈlan(t)-thə-ˌnīd 
variants
or less commonly lanthanoid
: any of the series of elements with increasing atomic numbers that begins with lanthanum or cerium and ends with lutetium see Periodic Table
Examples of lanthanide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rare earths include 17 metallic elements in the periodic table made up of scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides.
—
Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Ions of ytterbium and other such lanthanides have the right structure of electron orbitals to facilitate this process.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Oct. 2025
These include lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel (often called critical minerals, essential for rechargeable batteries), as well as rare-earth minerals such as yttrium, scandium, and lanthanides (integral components of green infrastructure).
—Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
Interest in rare earths—comprising 15 lanthanides and scandium and yttrium, which are critical for modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence—is rising amid trade disputes between the U.S. and China.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements, including 15 silvery-white metals called lanthanides, or lanthanoids, plus scandium and yttrium.
—Jason Neely and Eric Onstad, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
With fantastical names like lanthanides, scandium and yttrium, rare-earth elements play a crucial role in renewable-energy technology, which may be our best hope for avoiding catastrophic global warming.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023
The lanthanide and actinide series — those two rows floating by themselves, named after their first members, lanthanum and actinium — are isolated like that as a concession to limited space.
—Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2019
The first possibility is the evolution of a new OPEC-style organization with the power to control vital resources including silicon, copper, lithium, and lanthanides.
—Andrew Barron, Smithsonian, 20 Feb. 2018
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Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Ions of ytterbium and other such lanthanides have the right structure of electron orbitals to facilitate this process.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Oct. 2025
These include lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel (often called critical minerals, essential for rechargeable batteries), as well as rare-earth minerals such as yttrium, scandium, and lanthanides (integral components of green infrastructure).
—Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
Interest in rare earths—comprising 15 lanthanides and scandium and yttrium, which are critical for modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence—is rising amid trade disputes between the U.S. and China.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements, including 15 silvery-white metals called lanthanides, or lanthanoids, plus scandium and yttrium.
—Jason Neely and Eric Onstad, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
With fantastical names like lanthanides, scandium and yttrium, rare-earth elements play a crucial role in renewable-energy technology, which may be our best hope for avoiding catastrophic global warming.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023
The lanthanide and actinide series — those two rows floating by themselves, named after their first members, lanthanum and actinium — are isolated like that as a concession to limited space.
—Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2019
The first possibility is the evolution of a new OPEC-style organization with the power to control vital resources including silicon, copper, lithium, and lanthanides.
—Andrew Barron, Smithsonian, 20 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Lanthanide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lanthanide. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
lanthanide
noun
lan·tha·nide
ˈlan(t)-thə-ˌnīd
: any in a series of elements of increasing atomic numbers beginning with lanthanum (57) or cerium (58) and ending with lutetium (71)
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