Meaning & use
nonhazardous
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Not classed as dangerous to people or the environment according to safety rules.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: nonhazardous waste.
Patterns
- be nonhazardous
The cleaner is nonhazardous and can go in regular waste.
Lab staff tested the sample and found it nonhazardous.
Nonhazardous materials can be shipped by normal mail.
Common combinations
- nonhazardous waste
- The truck carries only nonhazardous waste.
- nonhazardous material
- The label says it is a nonhazardous material.
- classified as nonhazardous
- The chemical is classified as nonhazardous.
- nonhazardous substance
- Water is a nonhazardous substance.
- deemed nonhazardous
- The spill was deemed nonhazardous.
Synonyms and how they differ
- harmless
- Harmless means it causes no damage at all, while nonhazardous is a regulatory label that does not promise zero risk.
- safe
- Safe is general and everyday, whereas nonhazardous is specific to official safety classes.
- nontoxic
- Nontoxic means not poisonous, but nonhazardous covers other risks too, such as fire or corrosion.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: nonhazardous or nontoxic?
nonhazardous vs nontoxic
Nontoxic only means not poisonous, whereas nonhazardous means not dangerous by any official safety measure.
Practice
The safety sheet lists the powder as ___, so it can go in the regular trash.
Choose one answer.
Nonhazardous means not classed as dangerous, which is why regular disposal is allowed. The other options all describe dangers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nonhazardous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.