detergent

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UK/dɪˈtɜːd͡ʒənt/Canada, US/dɪˈtɝd͡ʒənt/New Zealand/dəˈtøːd͡ʒənt/

noun

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

“liquid detergent”

Similar
cleanercleansingdetersivepurifying
OriginFrench détergent ← Latin dētergēns →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Word of the Day · May 4, 2026

Meanings

noundetergent (countable and uncountable, plural detergents)

plural detergents

  1. countableuncountableAny non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant.

    liquid detergent

    4 more examples

    Near-synonym: cleaner (sometimes coordinate)

    laundry detergent

    powdered detergent

    She used a mild detergent to wash the clothes.

    Synonyms: cleaner

adjectivedetergent (comparative more detergent, superlative most detergent)

comparative more detergent · superlative most detergent

  1. Synonym of cleansing.

    Synonyms: cleansing

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant.

Similar
cleaner

adjectiveSynonym of cleansing.

Similar
cleansing

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivehaving cleansing power

Similar
detersivepurifying
Also see
cleansingdetersivepurifying

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindētergēns
  2. Frenchdétergent
  3. Englishdetergent

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

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans reinigingsmiddel
  • reinigingsmiddelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Arabic مُطَهِّر, مُنَظِّف
  • مُطَهِّر (muṭahhir)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • مُنَظِّف (munaẓẓif)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Bulgarian препара́т за почи́стване
  • препара́т за почи́стване (preparát za počístvane)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Catalan detergent
  • detergentany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Chinese Mandarin 洗滌劑 /洗涤剂
  • 洗滌劑 /洗涤剂 (xǐdíjì)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Czech čisticí prostředek, mycí prostředek
  • čisticí prostředekany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • mycí prostředekany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • prací prostředekany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • saponátany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • detergentany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Danish vaskemiddel
  • vaskemiddelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Dutch wasmiddel, reinigingsmiddel
  • wasmiddelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • reinigingsmiddelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Esperanto deterganto, lavpulvoro
  • detergantoany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • lavpulvoroany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Estonian pesuvahend
  • pesuvahendany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Finnish pesuaine, puhdistusaine
  • pesuaineany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • puhdistusaineany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
French détergent
  • détergentany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
German Reinigungsmittel
  • Reinigungsmittelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Greek απορρυπαντικό
  • απορρυπαντικό (aporrypantikó)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Hindi अपमार्जक
  • अपमार्जक (apmārjak)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Hungarian mosópor, mosószer
  • mosóporany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • mosószerany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Icelandic þvottaefni
  • þvottaefniany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Indonesian detergen
  • detergenany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Irish glantach
  • glantachany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Italian detergente
  • detergenteany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Japanese 洗剤
  • 洗剤 (senzai)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Korean 세제
  • 세제 (seje)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Lithuanian skalbiklis
  • skalbiklisany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Māori waihopi, hopiwē
  • waihopiany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • hopiwēany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Norwegian Bokmål vaskemiddel, oppvaskpulver
  • vaskemiddelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • oppvaskpulverany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • tøyvaskemiddelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Polish detergent
  • detergentany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Portuguese detergente
  • detergenteany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Romanian detergent
  • detergentany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Russian мо́ющее сре́дство, детерге́нт
  • мо́ющее сре́дство (mójuščeje srédstvo)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • детерге́нт (detergént)any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Spanish detergente
  • detergenteany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Swedish tvättmedel
  • tvättmedelany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Thai สารชะล้าง, สารซักฟอก
  • สารชะล้างany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • สารซักฟอกany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
Turkish deterjan, arıtıcı
  • deterjanany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant
  • arıtıcıany non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with detergent

urgentemergentdivergentconvergentinsurgentresurgentabstergentassurgentneurodivergentsubmergentsurgentturgentvergent
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

detergent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detergent

MLA

“detergent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detergent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “detergent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detergent.

Source: detergent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.