Definition

Relating to or having the characteristics of ammonia, which is a colorless gas with a strong smell often used in cleaning products and fertilizers.

Example

The ammoniacal solution was used in the chemical experiment.

Conversation

I noticed that smell in the chemistry lab today; it was really strong and ammoniacal.

Yeah, that usually happens when we mix certain chemicals together.

I didn't realize it could be so overwhelming at times.

Totally! We need to make sure the ventilation is good to avoid that smell.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Ammoniacal is derived from "ammoniacus" (meaning of or pertaining to ammonia) which comes from "ammonia" (from New Latin, derived from the Arabic "al-ḥaūm", meaning salt). The word refers to substances that are related to or contain ammonia, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen.

Memory Tip

Think of 'ammonia' as the base, and remember that 'ammoniacal' means something that is related to or contains ammonia.

Visually Confused Words