samarium

noun

sa·​mar·​i·​um sə-ˈmer-ē-əm How to pronounce samarium (audio)
: a silvery-white lustrous metallic element of the rare-earth group that is used especially in permanent magnets see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of samarium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The new rules bar exports of rare earths such as dysprosium, yttrium or samarium which play tiny but vital roles in cars, planes, weapons and consumer electronics. — Reuters, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026 The list also includes 15 rare earth elements, such as cerium, dysprosium, neodymium and samarium. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026 The data extraction for these rocks focused on the isotopes of two particular elements — samarium and neodymium. — Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 27 June 2025 The analyst added that these permanent magnets use elements such as samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron molecules or yttrium, a rare earth metal used to prevent corrosion. — Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for samarium

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from French samarskite

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of samarium was in 1879

Rhymes for samarium

See All Rhymes for samarium

Browse Nearby Words

Samaritanism
samarium
Samar-Leyte
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Samarium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samarium. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

samarium

noun
sa·​mar·​i·​um sə-ˈmer-ē-əm How to pronounce samarium (audio)
-ˈmar-
: a pale gray shiny metallic element see element

Medical Definition

samarium

noun
sa·​mar·​i·​um sə-ˈmer-ē-əm, -ˈmar- How to pronounce samarium (audio)
: a pale gray lustrous metallic element used especially in alloys that form permanent magnets
—symbol Sm see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on samarium

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about samarium

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All