Meaning & use
alkaline
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparablechemistry
Having a pH above 7, and so able to neutralize acids.
Grammar: Used about solutions and soils: an alkaline solution.
Baking soda makes the mixture more alkaline.
The pool water must not be too alkaline.
Alkaline soil suits some wildflowers.
adjectivebefore a nounchemistry
Containing an alkali metal such as sodium or potassium.
Grammar: Used before a noun, such as alkaline earth metal.
Calcium is an alkaline earth metal.
The experiment used an alkaline solution.
Alkaline compounds are often caustic.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Of a battery, using an alkaline electrolyte, rather than an acid one.
Grammar: Used about batteries: alkaline batteries.
The remote needs two alkaline batteries.
Alkaline cells last longer in small devices.
Dispose of alkaline batteries carefully.
Common combinations
- alkaline solution
- The alkaline solution turned the paper blue.
- alkaline soil
- Lavender grows well in alkaline soil.
- alkaline battery
- Replace the alkaline battery.
- alkaline water
- Some people drink alkaline water.
- mildly alkaline
- Seawater is mildly alkaline.
Synonyms and how they differ
- basic
- Basic is the more general chemical term for the same side of the pH scale, while alkaline is more often used for solutions that dissolve in water.
- caustic
- Caustic suggests a strongly alkaline substance that burns or corrodes.
Opposites
Word family
- alkali noun
- a substance that neutralizes acids
- alkalinity noun
- the degree of being alkaline
- alkalize verb
- to make alkaline
- alkaloid noun
- a nitrogen compound produced by plants, like caffeine
Commonly confused: alkaline or acidic?
alkaline vs acidic
Acidic is the opposite: solutions with a pH below 7.
Practice
A solution with a pH of 10 is described as ______.
Choose one answer.
A pH above 7 means alkaline. A pH of 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alkaline”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.