adj, noun ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   Any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant. countable, uncountable

   "Near-synonym: cleaner (sometimes coordinate)"

2. 2
   a cleansing agent that differs from soap but can also emulsify oils and hold dirt in suspension wordnet
3. 3
   a surface-active chemical widely used in industry and laundering wordnet

Adjective

1. 1
   Synonym of cleansing.

Adjective

1. 1
   having cleansing power wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

abstergentcatharticcleanercleanercleaningcleaning agent

Example

More examples

"I got a rash on my hands from dishwasher detergent."

Etymology

From French détergent, from Latin dētergēns, the present participle of dētergeō, from dē (“off”) + tergeō (“wipe, polish”).

Related phrases

anionic detergentcationic detergentdish detergentdishwasher detergent

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.