variants
or chiefly British sulphur
: a nonmetallic chemical element that is an essential element for all life, resembles oxygen in chemical properties, and is used especially in the form of sulfuric acid to extract phosphates from ores see Chemical Elements Table
Is it sulfur or sulphur?: Usage Guide
The spelling sulfur predominates in U.S. technical usage, while both sulfur and sulphur are common in general usage. British usage tends to favor sulphur for all applications. The same pattern is seen in most of the words derived from sulfur.
Examples of sulfur in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Joyce Carter Butterfly Garden alone hosts 32 species, including giant swallowtails, monarchs, buckeyes, spicebush, cabbage whites, cloudless sulfurs, and black swallowtails.
—
Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
The general technique is an archaeological staple but has been more regularly applied to animal bones than plant material and has rarely considered sulfur, Milton notes.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 11 Feb. 2026
In 2021, Rice University scientists made an insulating corrosion-resistant sulfur–selenium alloy suited for electronics such as bendable phones.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Its departure followed a strategic shift away from heavy and high-sulfur crude and amid safety concerns.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sulfur
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Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
The general technique is an archaeological staple but has been more regularly applied to animal bones than plant material and has rarely considered sulfur, Milton notes.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 11 Feb. 2026
In 2021, Rice University scientists made an insulating corrosion-resistant sulfur–selenium alloy suited for electronics such as bendable phones.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Its departure followed a strategic shift away from heavy and high-sulfur crude and amid safety concerns.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sulfur
Cite this Entry
“Sulfur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sulfur. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sulfur
noun
sul·fur
variants
also sulphur
: a nonmetallic element that occurs either free or combined especially in sulfides and sulfates, is found in proteins, exists in several forms including yellow crystals, and is used especially in the chemical and paper industries, in strengthening rubber, and in medicine for treating skin diseases see element
Medical Definition
sulfur
1 of 2 noun
sul·fur
variants
or chiefly British sulphur
: a nonmetallic element that occurs either free or combined especially in sulfides and sulfates, is a constituent of proteins, exists in several allotropic forms including yellow orthorhombic crystals, resembles oxygen chemically but is less active and more acidic, and is used especially in the chemical and paper industries, in rubber vulcanization, and in medicine for treating skin diseases
—symbol S
see Chemical Elements Table
sulfur
2 of 2 adjective
variants
or chiefly British sulphur
: of, relating to, or resembling sulfur : containing or impregnated with sulfur
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