sulfuric acid
noun
: a heavy corrosive oily dibasic strong acid H2SO4 that is colorless when pure and is a vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent
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 sulfuric acid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On a more technical level, it's made from cellulose fibers that undergo treatment with sulfuric acid or zinc chloride, which partially dissolves the paper's surface to create a barrier that can resist moisture and high temperatures.
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Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s speculated that a runaway greenhouse effect took place on Venus long ago, leading to its dense, thick, hot atmosphere, dominated by carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
This creates sulfuric acid, which then dissolves heavy metals such as copper, lead and mercury from surrounding rock.
—Alan Collins, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026
There, the gas reacts to form droplets of sulfuric acid that scatter sunlight back to space.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sulfuric acid
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Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s speculated that a runaway greenhouse effect took place on Venus long ago, leading to its dense, thick, hot atmosphere, dominated by carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
This creates sulfuric acid, which then dissolves heavy metals such as copper, lead and mercury from surrounding rock.
—Alan Collins, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026
There, the gas reacts to form droplets of sulfuric acid that scatter sunlight back to space.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sulfuric acid
Cite this Entry
“Sulfuric acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sulfuric%20acid. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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