Etymologically
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toxicity

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 07:07. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /tɒkˈsɪs.ə.ti/[1]
  • US: /tɑkˈsɪs.ə.ti/, /tɒkˈsɪs.ə.ti/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English toxic + -ity, after French toxicité, recorded in 1845 or earlier.[2][3][4] Merriam-Webster classes it as International Scientific Vocabulary.[5] The adjective toxic comes from Late Latin toxicus (“poisoned”), from toxicum (“poison”),[2][3][6] from Ancient Greek τοξικός (toxikós, “of a bow, for arrows”), from τόξον (tóxon, “bow”).[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The property of being harmful to health or life, or the degree of it: 1873, in the Cincinnati Lancet & Observer.[2] Etymonline dates the word to 1880 and Dictionary.com to 1880–85.[3][7]

Semantic evolution

Since 1967 the word has also been used figuratively for the harmfulness of a relationship, situation or social environment, or for behaviour that damages others.[2] This follows the similar figurative use of toxic.[2]

Timeline

  • 1873 – the quality or degree of being poisonous.[2]
  • 1880 – Etymonline's first date.[3]
  • 1967 – figurative, harmfulness of a relationship or environment.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The quality or state of being toxic or poisonous.[8][5][2]
  2. The degree to which a substance is poisonous: The toxicity of the pesticide was tested on fish.[8][5][4]
  3. Harmfulness of a relationship, situation or environment, or of behaviour towards others.[2]

Word family

  • cytotoxicity
  • hepatotoxicity
  • hypertoxicity
  • neurotoxicity
  • nontoxicity

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  7. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  8. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins