Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality or degree of being poisonous: The inherent property of a substance that can cause illness, injury, or death to a living organism.
   • The potential to cause grave harm or death: The harmful or deadly effect of something, not necessarily a physical substance.

Usage

• Toxicity is a non-count noun used to describe the poisonous nature of a substance or situation. It is often discussed in scientific, medical, and environmental contexts.
• It can be modified by adjectives (e.g., , ) or described in terms of its degree or level.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The toxicity of the chemical requires special handling procedures.
  • Researchers are studying the long-term toxicity of this new medication.
  • The toxicity of the online comments created a hostile environment.

Advanced Usage

• "Toxicity level": A measured degree of how poisonous something is.
  • The lab report indicated a dangerously high toxicity level in the water sample.
• In a figurative/metaphorical sense: Used to describe a harmful, negative, or poisonous quality in non-physical contexts, such as relationships or culture.
  • The manager addressed the toxicity in the workplace culture.

Variants and Related Words

• Toxic (adj): Poisonous; or figuratively, very harmful or unpleasant.
  • The plant is toxic to cats.
  • She left a toxic relationship.
• Toxin (n): A specific poisonous substance, often one produced by a living organism.
  • The snake's venom contains a powerful toxin.

Synonyms

• Poisonousness: The quality of being poisonous. (More formal/literal)
• Virulence: The severity or harmfulness of a disease or poison. (Often used in medical contexts)
• Noxiousness: The quality of being harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant.

Antonyms

• Safety: The condition of being protected from harm.
• Harmlessness: The quality of not causing harm.
• Benignity: The quality of being gentle, kind, or harmless.

Noun

1. grave harmfulness or deadliness
2. the degree to which something is poisonous