mineral

See also: Mineral, minéral, minerál, and minerał

Languages (14)

English

---

Catalan • Crimean Tatar • Danish • Galician • Indonesian • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Portuguese • Romanian • Serbo-Croatian • Spanish • Swedish • Turkish

---

Page categories

English

Alternative forms

• minerall (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English mineral, borrowed from Old French mineral, (French minéral), from Medieval Latin minerale, from minera (“ore”), probably ultimately derived from Latin mina (“ore, mine”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪn.ə.ɹəl/, /ˈmɪn.ɹəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪn.ɚ.əl/, /ˈmɪn.ɹəl/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Hyphenation: min‧eral

Noun

mineral (plural minerals)

1. (geology) Any naturally occurring material that has a (more or less) definite chemical composition and characteristic physical properties; especially, an inorganic one.
   • 1883, Science, volumes 1-2, page 279:

     The physiology of matter in the abstract is dynamical, that of mineral species is both dynamical and chemical, while that of organized forms is at once dynamical, chemical, and biotical.

   • 1983, Warren C. Day, Richard M. Tosdal, E.L. Acosta, J.C. Aruspon, L. Carvajal, E. Cedeño, Glenda Lowry, L.F. Martinez, J.A. Noriega, Fernanco J. Niñez, J. Rojas, F. Prieto, “Geology of the Lo Indreíble Mining District and U-Pb Age of the Early Proterozoic Yuruari Formation of the Pastora Supergroup, Guayana Shield, Venezuela”, in U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin, numbers 2122-2127, page E-12:

     Formation of alteration minerals in the host rock during deformation within the shear zone is indicated by the parallel foliation within the secondary micaceous minerals and the unmineralized host schist.

   • 2012 March, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist‎^[1], volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 June 2012, page 128:

     Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are diamond, ruby and sapphire, emerald and other gem forms of the mineral beryl, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, tsavorite, topaz and jade.

2. Any inorganic material (as distinguished from animal or vegetable).
3. (nutrition) Any inorganic element that is essential to nutrition.
4. (British) Mineral water.
5. (Ireland, South Africa, Nigeria, informal) A soft drink, particularly a single serve bottle or can.
6. (obsolete) A mine or mineral deposit.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     O'er whom his very madness, like some ore / Among a mineral of metals base, / Shows itself pure;

7. (obsolete) A poisonous or dangerous substance.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     ...Thou hast... / Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals […]

Derived terms

• agromineral
• biomineral
• humineral
• hydromineral
• macromineral
• micromineral
• minerality
• mineralization
• mineralize
• minerally
• mineralocorticoid
• mineraloid
• minerals (“testicles”)
• mineratrophic
• monomineral
• multimineral
• nanomineral
• nonmineral
• oligomineral
• organomineral
• polymineral
• pseudomineral

Related terms

• mine
• mineralogy

Translations

in geology

• Albanian: mineral (sq) m
• Arabic: مَعْدِن (ar) m (maʕdin)
• Armenian: հանք (hy) (hankʻ), հանքաքար (hy) (hankʻakʻar)
• Assamese: খনিজ (khoniz)
• Atayal: bblbaliq
• Azerbaijani: mineral (az)
• Belarusian: мінера́л m (minjerál)
• Bengali: খনিজ (bn) (khonij)
• Bulgarian: минера́л m (minerál)
• Burmese: ဓာတ် (my) (dhat)
• Catalan: mineral (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 礦物 / 矿物 (zh) (kuàngwù)

• Cornish: moon m
• Czech: minerál (cs) m, nerost (cs) m
• Danish: mineral (da) n
• Dutch: delfstof (nl) c, mineraal (nl) n
• Esperanto: mineralo
• Estonian: mineraal
• Finnish: mineraali (fi), kivennäinen (fi)
• French: minéral (fr) m
• Galician: mineral (gl) m
• Georgian: მინერალი (minerali)
• German: Mineral (de) n
• Greek: ορυκτό (el) n (oryktó), μετάλλευμα (el) n (metállevma)
• Hebrew: מִינֶרָל (he), מַחְצָב (he) m (maẖtzáv)
• Hindi: खनिज (hi) (khanij)
• Icelandic: steinefni n
• Indonesian: mineral (id), pelikan (id)
• Irish: mianra m
• Italian: minerale (it) m
• Japanese: 鉱物 (ja) (こうぶつ, kōbutsu)
• Kashmiri: کھانٕز (khānụz)
• Kashubian: minerôł m
• Kazakh: минерал (mineral)
• Khmer: រ៉ែ (rae), ខនិជ (khɑnɨc)
• Korean: 광물 (ko) (gwangmul)
• Lao: ແຮ່ (hǣ), ແຮ່ທາດ (lo) (hǣ thāt), ສິນແຮ່ (sin hǣ)
• Latin: minerale n
• Latvian: minerāls m
• Lithuanian: mineralas m
• Macedonian: минера́л (mk) m (minerál), руда f (ruda)
• Malay: mineral
• Māori: manawa whenua, ōpapa, kohuke
• Mongolian: минерал (mn) (mineral)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mineral (no) n

  Nynorsk: mineral n

• Persian: کانی (fa) (kâni)
• Polish: minerał (pl) m
• Portuguese: mineral (pt) m
• Romanian: mineral (ro) n, minerale n pl
• Russian: минера́л (ru) m (minerál)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: минерал m

  Latin: mineral (sh) m

• Sinhalese: ඛනිජ (si) (khanija)
• Slovak: minerál m
• Slovene: mineral (sl) m
• Spanish: mineral (es) m
• Swedish: mineral (sv) c
• Tagalog: lupangkap
• Tajik: маъдан (ma'dan)
• Thai: แร่ (th) (rɛ̂ɛ), แร่ธาตุ (th), สินแร่ (sǐn-rɛ̂ɛ)
• Turkish: mineral (tr), maden (tr)

  Ottoman Turkish: معدن (maʼden)

• Udmurt: муиз (muiz), минерал (mińeral)
• Ukrainian: мінера́л (uk) m (minerál)
• Uzbek: mineral (uz)
• Vietnamese: khoáng sản (vi), khoáng vật (vi)
• Welsh: mwyn (cy) m

as opposed to animal and vegetable

• Catalan: mineral (ca) m
• Czech: minerál (cs) m
• Dutch: mineraal (nl) n
• Finnish: kivennäinen (fi)
• French: minéral (fr) m
• Greek: ορυκτό (el) n (oryktó)
• Indonesian: mineral (id)
• Italian: minerale (it) m
• Japanese: 鉱物 (ja) (こうぶつ, kōbutsu)
• Macedonian: минера́л (mk) m (minerál)
• Māori: kohuke
• Norwegian: mineral (no) m
• Persian: معدنی (fa) (ma'dani)
• Portuguese: mineral (pt) m
• Romanian: mineral (ro) n
• Russian: минера́л (ru) m (minerál)
• Thai: แร่ (th) (rɛ̂ɛ)

in nutrition

• Armenian: հանքանյութ (hy) (hankʻanyutʻ)
• Bulgarian: минерал m (mineral)
• Catalan: mineral (ca) m
• Dutch: mineraal (nl) n
• Finnish: hivenaine (fi), kivennäisaine (fi)
• French: minéral (fr) m
• Greek: μέταλλο (el) n (métallo)
• Hungarian: ásványi anyag
• Japanese: ミネラル (ja) (mineraru)
• Macedonian: минера́л (mk) m (minerál)
• Norwegian: mineral (no) m
• Portuguese: mineral (pt) m
• Romanian: mineral (ro) n
• Swahili: madini (sw)
• Swedish: mineral (sv)
• Tagalog: lupangkap
• Thai: แร่ธาตุ (th), เกลือแร่ (th) (glʉʉa-rɛ̂ɛ)
• Turkish: mineral madde

mineral water — see mineral water

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} ఖనిజం (khanijaṁ)
• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} mwyn (cy) m

Adjective

mineral (not comparable)

1. of, related to, or containing minerals

Derived terms

• accessory mineral
• æthiops mineral
• agaric mineral
• chameleon mineral
• green mineral
• mineral acid
• mineral black
• mineral blue
• mineral candle
• mineral caoutchouc
• mineral coal
• mineral cotton
• Mineral County
• mineral green
• mineral lick
• mineral makeup
• mineral oil
• mineralomass
• mineral processing
• mineral railway
• mineral right
• mineral salt
• mineral spirits
• mineral tar
• mineral turpentine
• mineral wagon
• mineral water
• mineral wax
• mineral weathering
• mineral wool
• mines and minerals
• rare earth mineral
• vegeto-mineral

Translations

relating to or containing minerals

• Armenian: հանքային (hy) (hankʻayin)
• Catalan: mineral (ca) m or f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 矿物的 (kuàngwù de)

• Czech: minerální (cs)
• Danish: mineralsk
• Finnish: mineraalinen (fi), kivennäis- (fi)
• French: minéral (fr)
• Georgian: მინერალური (mineraluri)
• Greek: μεταλλικός (el) (metallikós), ορυκτός (el) m (oryktós)
• Irish: mianrach
• Italian: minerale (it)
• Japanese: 鉱物の (ja) (こうぶつの, kōbutsu no)
• Kashubian: mineralny
• Kazakh: минералдық (mineraldyq)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mineralsk

  Nynorsk: mineralsk

• Polish: mineralny (pl)
• Portuguese: mineral (pt) m or f
• Swedish: mineralisk (sv)

References

• “mineral”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “mineral”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Lierman, manlier, marline, railmen, ramline

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [mi.nəˈɾal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [mi.neˈɾal]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

mineral m or f (masculine and feminine plural minerals)

1. mineral

Noun

mineral m (plural minerals)

1. mineral

Derived terms

• aigua mineral
• mineralogia
• oli mineral

Further reading

• “mineral”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Crimean Tatar

Noun

mineral

1. mineral

Declension

Declension of mineral

nominative	mineral
genitive	mineralnıñ
dative	mineralğa
accusative	mineralnı
locative	mineralda
ablative	mineraldan

Adjective

mineral

1. mineral

   mineral suv

   mineral water

References

• Mirjejev, V. A.; Usejinov, S. M. (2002), Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎^[2], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Danish

Etymology

From Medieval Latin minerale.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌminəˈʁɑˀl/

Noun

mineral n (singular definite mineralet, plural indefinite mineraler)

1. mineral

Declension

Declension of mineral

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mineral	mineralet	mineraler	mineralerne
genitive	minerals	mineralets	mineralers	mineralernes

See also

• mineralsk
• mineralisere
• mineralholdig
• mineralog
• mineralsalt
• mineralvand

Further reading

• “mineral” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “mineral” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mineˈɾal/ [mĩ.neˈɾɑɫ]
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: mi‧ne‧ral

Noun

mineral m (plural minerais)

1. mineral

Further reading

• “mineral”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch mineraal (“mineral”), from Old French mineral, (French minéral), from Medieval Latin minerale, from minera (“ore”), probably ultimately derived from Latin mina (“ore, mine”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /minəˈral/ [mi.nəˈral]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: mi‧ne‧ral

Noun

minêral (plural mineral-mineral)

1. (geology) mineral
2. (biochemistry, nutrition, physiology) mineral, dietary mineral (any inorganic element that is essential to nutrition)

Derived terms

• mineral bahan bakar (“mineral fuel”)
• mineral esensial (“essential mineral”)
• mineral feromagnesian (“ferromagnesian mineral”)
• mineral isomorfik (“isomorphic mineral”)
• mineral kelumit (“trace mineral”)
• mineral lempung (“clay mineral”)
• mineral liat (“clay mineral”)
• mineral logam (“metal mineral”)
• mineral mafik (“mafic mineral”)
• mineral makro (“macro mineral”)
• mineral primer (“primary mineral”)
• mineral radioaktif (“radioactive mineral”)
• mineral resistan (“resistant mineral”)
• mineral ringan (“light mineral”)
• mineral terkelat (“chelated minerals”)
• mineral ultrakelumit (“ultra-trace minerals”)

Further reading

• “mineral”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

mineral n (definite singular mineralet, indefinite plural mineral or mineraler, definite plural minerala or mineralene)

1. mineral

Derived terms

• mineralog
• mineralsk
• mineralvann

Related terms

• mineralogi

References

• “mineral” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

mineral n (definite singular mineralet, indefinite plural mineral, definite plural minerala)

1. mineral

Derived terms

• mineralog
• mineralsk

Related terms

• mineralogi

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mi.neˈɾaw/ [mi.neˈɾaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mi.nɨˈɾal/ [mi.nɨˈɾaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mi.nɨˈɾal/ [mi.nɨˈɾaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /mi.nɨˈɾa.li/

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: mi‧ne‧ral

Noun

mineral m (plural minerais)

1. (geology) mineral (naturally occurring inorganic material with characteristic physical properties)
2. (nutrition) mineral (inorganic element essential to nutrition)

Adjective

mineral m or f (plural minerais)

1. mineral (relating to or made of minerals)

Derived terms

• água mineral
• mineralogia
• óleo mineral

Related terms

• mina
• minério

Further reading

• “mineral”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “mineral”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French minéral, from Latin mineralis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.neˈral/

Adjective

mineral m or n (feminine singular minerală, masculine plural minerali, feminine/neuter plural minerale)

1. mineral

Declension

Declension of mineral

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	mineral		minerală		minerali	minerale
	definite	mineralul		minerala		mineralii	mineralele
genitive- dative	indefinite	mineral		minerale		minerali	minerale
	definite	mineralului		mineralei		mineralilor	mineralelor

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /miněraːl/
• Hyphenation: mi‧ne‧ral

Noun

minèrāl m inan (Cyrillic spelling минѐра̄л)

1. mineral

Declension

Declension of mineral

	singular	plural
nominative	minèrāl	minerali
genitive	minerála	minerala
dative	mineralu	mineralima
accusative	mineral	minerale
vocative	minerale	minerali
locative	mineralu	mineralima
instrumental	mineralom	mineralima

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mineˈɾal/ [mi.neˈɾal]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: mi‧ne‧ral

Adjective

mineral m or f (masculine and feminine plural minerales)

1. mineral

Derived terms

• aceite mineral
• agua mineral

Noun

mineral m (plural minerales)

1. mineral

Derived terms

• mineral de hierro
• mineralogía

Further reading

• “mineral”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌminɛˈraːl/

Noun

mineral n

1. mineral

Declension

Declension of mineral

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	mineral	minerals
	definite	mineralet	mineralets
plural	indefinite	mineraler	mineralers
	definite	mineralerna	mineralernas

References

• mineral in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• mineral in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• mineral in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Turkish

Etymology

From French minéral.

Noun

mineral

1. mineral