aluminium

IPA/ˌæljəˈmɪniəm/
KK[əlˈumɪnəm]IPA/ˌæljəˈmɪniəm/

aluminium — noun

1. a soft, silvery metal that weighs very little and does not rust easily, often sh

1.nounB2
Definition

a soft, silvery metal that weighs very little and does not rust easily, often shaped into pots, drink cans, window frames, and parts of planes; in American English it is spelled aluminum.

Example

Anaya wrapped the leftover pizza in a sheet of aluminium foil.

common collocation: aluminium foil

The new bicycle frame is made of aluminium, so Mateo can lift it with one hand.

pattern: made of aluminium

Common collocations
  • aluminium foil
  • aluminium can
  • aluminium frame
  • sheet of aluminium
  • recycled aluminium
Synonyms
  • aluminum

    American English spelling and pronunciation of the same metal

  • alloy

    broader term: any metal mixture, often containing aluminium

Grammar Patterns

aluminium + noun

Usage Note

Always uncountable: no plural, no 'an aluminium'. Frequently used before another noun (aluminium foil, aluminium can, aluminium frame) to describe what something is made of.

Common Mistakes

I bought two aluminiums for the kitchen.
I bought two aluminium pans for the kitchen.
aluminium is uncountable; use a countable noun after it.
The window has an aluminium.
The window has an aluminium frame.
name the object; aluminium describes the material, not the thing itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Aluminium and aluminum name the same chemical element; the difference is purely regional. British, Australian, and most international English use 'aluminium' (five syllables), while American and Canadian English prefer 'aluminum' (four syllables). Tin is a different, heavier metal, though everyday speakers sometimes loosely call thin aluminium containers 'tins' (a tin of beans is usually steel coated with tin, not aluminium at all). Steel is much stronger and heavier, made mostly from iron, and is used where strength matters more than weight, such as in bridges or knives. Choose 'aluminium' for foil, drink cans, bicycle frames, and aircraft parts; choose 'steel' for cutlery, tools, and building beams.

aluminium ↗aluminum ↗tin ↗steel ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • aluminium foil
  • aluminium can
  • aluminium frame
  • aluminium sheet
  • aluminium alloy
  • aluminium industry

Phrases

  • recycled aluminium
  • lightweight aluminium
  • a sheet of aluminium

Prepositions

  • made of aluminium
  • made from aluminium
  • in aluminium

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Coined in 1808 by the British chemist Sir Humphry Davy, who first called the metal 'alumium' and then 'aluminum', based on the Latin word 'alumen' meaning a bitter salt (alum) used since ancient times for dyeing cloth. The longer form 'aluminium' was suggested soon after to match the '-ium' ending of other elements like sodium and potassium, and it became standard in British English. American English kept the older 'aluminum' form, which is why the two spellings exist side by side today.