: a silver-white metallic chemical element with atomic number 13 that has good electrical and thermal conductivity, high reflectivity, and resistance to oxidation
often used before another noun
aluminum foil
The sweet spot, the point in a bat where vibration supposedly is least, is said to be two times larger on an aluminum bat than on a wood one.Hank Hersch
Before he evacuated, Mr. Gonzales tied the boat down with four gigantic ropes and all the storm could do was knock it off the construction blocks. He slowly climbs a battered aluminum ladder propped up on the port side.Ken Wells
see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of aluminum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Built on a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 chassis, fit with a 331 ci V-8, this all-aluminum two-seater features a retractable hardtop, a wraparound windshield, a Lucite steering wheel, and Liberace levels of gold-plating. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2026 At Apple, Ternus has tackled some of the company’s trickiest hardware problems, including playing a pivotal role in the company’s 2007 iMac, which was the first to feature the iconic aluminum casing. Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Tariffs are raising the price of materials used throughout a home, including lumber, plywood, steel, aluminum, copper and cement, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Mike Winters, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 The mechanical keyboard itself is machined from a single piece of aluminum, and features backlit Kailh low-profile switches. Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aluminum

Word History

Etymology

alumine "alumina" (borrowed from French, borrowed from Latin alūmin-, alūmen alum entry 1) + -um (in the names of other metals, as platinum entry 1, tantalum)

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aluminum was in 1812

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aluminum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aluminum. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a silver-white malleable light element that conducts electricity and heat well, is highly resistant to oxidation, and is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust see element

Medical Definition

: a silver-white malleable ductile light trivalent metallic chemical element with atomic number 13 that has good electrical and thermal conductivity, high reflectivity, and resistance to oxidation
symbol Al
see Chemical Elements Table

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