: of or relating to a molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image
Examples of chiral in a Sentence
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Not everyone counts these different chiral and polarization states as distinct particle types.
—
Quanta Magazine, 15 June 2026
To prove this wasn’t a fluke, a parallel study published in Nature Communications used the exact same laser-light technique on a different chiral material.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 May 2026
Traditional biosignature approaches focus on searching for specific compounds, such as certain amino acids or lipid structures, or for chiral preferences, like left-handedness.
—Amirali Aghazadeh, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
Their alarm stemmed from the fact that, because natural life is chiral, interactions between natural organisms and mirror bacteria would be profoundly unpredictable.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chiral
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Quanta Magazine, 15 June 2026
To prove this wasn’t a fluke, a parallel study published in Nature Communications used the exact same laser-light technique on a different chiral material.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 May 2026
Traditional biosignature approaches focus on searching for specific compounds, such as certain amino acids or lipid structures, or for chiral preferences, like left-handedness.
—Amirali Aghazadeh, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
Their alarm stemmed from the fact that, because natural life is chiral, interactions between natural organisms and mirror bacteria would be profoundly unpredictable.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chiral
Cite this Entry
“Chiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiral. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
chiral
adjective
chi·ral
ˈkī-rəl 
1
a
of a molecule
: having a structure that is nonsuperimposable on its mirror image
chiral molecules
b
: relating to or composed of chiral molecules
In discussions of chiral drugs, thalidomide is sometimes cited as a prime example of a drug that differs strikingly in the properties of its two enantiomers.—Stephen C. Stinson, Chemical & Engineering News
Stephen C. Stinson, Chemical & Engineering News2
: of, relating to, or being a chiral center
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