toxicity: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Academic, and increasingly Common in Media/Everyday use.
Quick answer
What does “toxicity” mean?
The quality or state of being toxic or poisonous.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The quality or state of being toxic or poisonous; the degree to which a substance can harm a living organism.
In modern contexts, it frequently refers to the harmful or negative quality of a situation, environment, culture, or interpersonal relationship.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or definition differences. In British English, it may be more strongly associated with the medical/scientific sense, but the extended social sense is now equally common in both.
Connotations
The scientific sense is neutral. The social sense carries a strong negative connotation, implying serious harm requiring remediation.
Frequency
Both uses are frequent, with the social use rising sharply in recent years in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “toxicity” in a Sentence
toxicity of [something]toxicity to [something/someone]toxicity in [a place/situation]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “toxicity” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The company needs to detoxify its workplace culture.
- The spill could toxify the local water supply.
American English
- The team is trying to detoxify their locker room environment.
- Certain plastics can toxify the soil over time.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a harmful corporate culture that damages employee well-being and productivity. 'The new CEO was hired to address the toxicity in the management team.'
Academic
Used in environmental science, pharmacology, and medicine to describe the harmful effects of substances. Also used in social sciences to analyse destructive social dynamics. 'The study measured the acute toxicity of the pesticide on aquatic life.'
Everyday
Commonly used to describe unpleasant, hostile, or damaging social environments, especially online. 'The toxicity in the comments section was overwhelming.'
Technical
In chemistry/biology: LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%) is a precise measure of toxicity. In gaming: 'toxicity' describes abusive player behaviour.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “toxicity”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “toxicity”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “toxicity”
- Confusing 'toxicity' (noun) with 'toxic' (adjective). Incorrect: 'The relationship had a toxic level.' Correct: 'The relationship had a high level of toxicity.' / 'The relationship was toxic.'
- Overusing the social meaning in formal scientific writing where 'poisonousness' or 'harmfulness' might be more precise.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its original and core meaning is related to poisonous substances, it is now very commonly used metaphorically to describe harmful social, cultural, or online environments (e.g., 'toxicity in politics').
In scientific contexts, they are often synonymous. In everyday use, 'toxic' is more frequent and has broader social applications ('toxic relationship'), whereas 'poisonous' is often more literal or implies deliberate harm (a poisonous snake).
Almost never. It is inherently a negative noun describing the capacity to cause harm. In rare, informal internet slang, 'this is toxic' can be used humorously to describe something addictive or compelling, but this is not standard.
Use it precisely to describe the harmful degree or property of something. Example: 'The study aimed to quantify the chronic toxicity of the pharmaceutical compound on liver cells.'
The quality or state of being toxic or poisonous.
Toxicity is usually formal, academic, and increasingly common in media/everyday use. in register.
Toxicity: in British English it is pronounced /tɒkˈsɪsəti/, and in American English it is pronounced /tɑːkˈsɪsəti/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A culture of toxicity”
- “The toxicity meter is off the charts (informal/social).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TOXIC SITUATION. The word 'toxicity' is the noun form of 'toxic' + '-ity', meaning the state of being toxic.
Conceptual Metaphor
HARMFUL SUBSTANCES ARE POISONS FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS / NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTS ARE TOXIC WASTE.
Practice
Quiz
In a modern business context, 'addressing workplace toxicity' most likely means: