toxicity
noun
David S. CloudRudy M. Baum and Ron DaganiConnie SchultzDahlia Lithwick
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Toxicity is often a relative thing; in the words of a famous old saying, "The dose makes the poison". Thus, it's possible to die from drinking too much water, and lives have been saved by tiny doses of arsenic. Even though botulinum toxin is the most toxic substance known, it's the basic ingredient in Botox, which is injected into the face to get rid of wrinkles. With some poisons, mere skin contact can be lethal; others are lethal when breathed into the lungs in microscopic amounts. To determine if a chemical will be officially called a poison, researchers often use the "LD50" test: If 50 milligrams of the substance for every kilogram of an animal's body weight results in the death of 50% of test animals, the chemical is a poison. But there are problems with such tests, and toxicity remains a very individual concept.
Examples of toxicity in a Sentence
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
Too much vitamin D can lead to toxicity, also known as vitamin D hypervitaminosis.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 28 Oct. 2025
The cause and manner of death in the cases included accidental drownings, a suicide, drug toxicity, blunt force trauma and cardiovascular disease, according to the medical examiner data.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
Today, many women are offered drugs designed to target specific cancer cell mutations, sparing them unnecessary toxicity.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Toxicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicity. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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toxicity
noun
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