by-product
noun
by-prod·uct
ˈbī-ˌprä-(ˌ)dəkt 
variants
or byproduct
plural by-products or byproducts
1
: something produced in a usually industrial or biological process in addition to the principal product
Sulfured molasses is a by-product of sugar refining.—
Wayne Gisslen
Wayne GisslenSmall amounts of amyloid beta are generated as an ordinary metabolic byproduct and are believed to do no harm, but larger amounts seem to be tied to Alzheimer's.—January W. Payne
January W. PayneMeat by-products are parts other than meat, including organs, blood and bone …—Amy D. Shojai
Amy D. ShojaiAmong the most commonly occurring and thoroughly studied chlorination byproducts are trihalomethanes …—Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports2
: a secondary and sometimes unexpected or unintended result
Japan's success as an international exporter of manufactured goods is a by-product of the volatile trade among Japanese cities.—Jane Jacobs
Jane JacobsAs investor confidence grows, overspending and overborrowing are typically byproducts of an aging bull market.—Carolyn Bigda
Carolyn BigdaOne of the by-products of the information age is an increasing number of data formats.—John Was
John WasExamples of by-product in a Sentence
hydrogen is one by-product of that chemical reaction
Recent Examples on the Web
Clean energy from toxic waste Bio-tar – the thick liquid by-product produced when heating biomass and organic matter – has long been viewed as toxic to the environment and an unavoidable cost of renewable energy production.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Meteor Showers in Dark Sky Parks Most meteor showers are the by-products of comets, except for the Geminids, which is a by-product of an asteroid.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 24 Dec. 2025
Living tissues emit light called biophotons as a by-product of consuming energy—and the brain consumes a whole lot of energy.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025
Called ToFuel, the four-year, innovative project aims to convert tomato processing residues into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) while also producing valuable by-products such as fertilizer, animal feed, and nutritional oil.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
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The Week Uk, TheWeek, 30 Dec. 2025
Meteor Showers in Dark Sky Parks Most meteor showers are the by-products of comets, except for the Geminids, which is a by-product of an asteroid.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 24 Dec. 2025
Living tissues emit light called biophotons as a by-product of consuming energy—and the brain consumes a whole lot of energy.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2025
Called ToFuel, the four-year, innovative project aims to convert tomato processing residues into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) while also producing valuable by-products such as fertilizer, animal feed, and nutritional oil.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by-product
Cite this Entry
“By-product.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by-product. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
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