: a nonmetallic chemical element with atomic number 7 that under standard conditions is a colorless, odorless, inert gas, that constitutes 78 percent of the Earth's atmosphere, and that is used especially in the industrial synthesis of ammonia, as a component of inert atmospheres, and in liquid form as a refrigerant
—often used before another noun
the nitrogen cycle
nitrogen fertilizer
see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of nitrogen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The reactor will produce electricity by feeding heat into a specialized nitrogen closed Brayton cycle system. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026 The mid-19th century had seen a massive increase in the use of nitrogen-rich guano in fertilizer and gunpowder, and the demand for this commodity would fuel a wave of American expansion throughout the Pacific. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026 Most of the nitrogen used in fertilizer travels through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel in the Middle East controlled by Iran. — Saige Miller, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 The gas used in the Holocaust used the same industrial chemistry that fixes nitrogen for the fertilizer that feeds most of the world. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nitrogen

Word History

Etymology

French nitrogène, from nitre niter + -gène -gen

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nitrogen was in 1791

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nitrogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nitrogen. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

nitrogen

noun
: a colorless tasteless odorless element that occurs as a gas which makes up 78 percent of the atmosphere and that forms a part of all living tissues see element

Medical Definition

nitrogen

noun
: a common nonmetallic element that in the free form is normally a colorless odorless tasteless insoluble inert diatomic gas comprising 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume and that in the combined form is a constituent of biologically important compounds (as proteins, nucleic acids, and alkaloids) and hence of all living cells as well as of industrially important substances (as cyanides, fertilizers, dyes, and antibiotics)
—symbol N
see Chemical Elements Table

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