protonation

P3R1O1T1O1N1A1T1I1O1N1
/ˌpɹoʊtəˈneɪʃən/

noun

The addition of a proton (hydrogen ion) to an atom, molecule or ion, normally to generate a cation.

OriginEnglish proton ← Ancient Greek πρῶτον (prôton) ← Proto-Indo-European *pró →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounprotonation (countable and uncountable, plural protonations)

plural protonations

  1. countableuncountablechemistryThe addition of a proton (hydrogen ion) to an atom, molecule or ion, normally to generate a cation.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
protonization

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pró
  4. Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
  5. Ancient Greekπρῶτον (prôton)
  6. Englishproton
  7. Englishprotonation

From proton + -ation.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech protonace
  • protonaceaddition of a proton
French protonation
  • protonationaddition of a proton
German Protonierung
  • Protonierungaddition of a proton
Italian protonazione
  • protonazioneaddition of a proton
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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