

Inorganic compound

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noun, plural: inorganic compounds

Any compound lacking carbon atoms, or when present is ionically bound to other atoms.


A very common example of inorganic compound is water. Some inorganic compounds containing carbon atoms are carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon.

Word origin: named after the early notion that inorganic compounds are not of biological origin.

Compare: organic compound