lithium

IPA/ˈlɪθiəm/
KK[lˈɪθiəm]IPA/ˈlɪθiəm/

lithium — noun

1. a soft, silver-white metal, the lightest among all solid elements. It reacts eas

1.nounB1
Definition

a soft, silver-white metal, the lightest among all solid elements. It reacts easily with other substances and conducts electricity well, making it useful for rechargeable batteries, heat-resistant glass, and industrial lubricants.

Example

Lithium batteries power most electric cars on the road today.

collocation: lithium batteries

Bao recycled old lithium-ion batteries at the local collection centre.

compound form: lithium-ion

Common collocations
  • lithium battery
  • lithium-ion battery
  • lithium mine
  • lithium deposit
  • lithium reserves
  • lithium metal
  • lithium salt
  • extract lithium
  • produce lithium
  • lithium content
Synonyms
  • Li

    the chemical symbol, used in formulas, labels, and technical writing

Usage Note

Lithium is an uncountable noun with no plural form. It is always referred to by the chemical symbol Li in scientific writing. The word is often used in compound nouns such as lithium-ion and lithium-polymer to describe battery types.

Common Mistakes

Lithiums are used in batteries.
Lithium is used in batteries.
lithium is uncountable, so it has no plural form.
A lithium is a light metal.
Lithium is a light metal.
do not use the indefinite article 'a' with uncountable nouns.

2. any of several salts of lithium, chiefly lithium carbonate, taken as a mood-stab

2.nounC1
Definition

any of several salts of lithium, chiefly lithium carbonate, taken as a mood-stabilising medicine. It is most often prescribed for people with bipolar disorder to reduce the severity and frequency of manic episodes. In industry, lithium carbonate is also used in making glass, ceramics, and enamels.

Example

Camila's psychiatrist prescribed lithium to help control her mood swings.

collocation: prescribe lithium

Patients taking lithium need regular blood tests to monitor their levels.

collocation: taking lithium / monitor levels

Common collocations
  • lithium therapy
  • lithium treatment
  • lithium dose
  • lithium dosage
  • lithium levels
  • lithium carbonate
  • prescribe lithium
  • take lithium
  • be on lithium
  • lithium poisoning
Synonyms
  • lithium carbonate

    the specific salt form prescribed as medication; more precise in medical contexts

  • mood stabiliser

    broader category of drugs; lithium belongs to this class but is not a synonym

Usage Note

In medical contexts, 'lithium' usually refers to lithium carbonate, the salt form used as a mood stabiliser. It is often used in phrases like 'on lithium' (e.g. 'patients on lithium') meaning undergoing lithium therapy. Therapeutic levels are narrow, so regular blood monitoring is essential.

Common Mistakes

He was prescribed lithiums for his condition.
He was prescribed lithium for his condition.
lithium is uncountable even when referring to medication.
Lithium is a metal that doctors use.
Lithium (lithium carbonate) is used as a mood stabiliser.
the medical sense refers to the salt, not the pure metal.

Word family

  • lithium-ion
    nounB1
  • lithium carbonate
    nounC1
  • lithium-ion battery
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lithium, sodium, and potassium are all alkali metals, but they differ in how the general public encounters them. Sodium and potassium are essential for human health — sodium is widely known through table salt (sodium chloride), and potassium appears in bananas and other foods. Lithium, by contrast, is best known as a battery material and a psychiatric medication. In chemistry, lithium is the lightest and least reactive of the three, with a higher melting point than sodium or potassium. A learner writing about rechargeable batteries would use lithium; writing about nutrition or cooking would use sodium or potassium. For example: 'Lithium-ion batteries are lighter than other types,' versus 'Sodium is a key component of table salt.'

lithium ↗sodium ↗potassium ↗

Etymology

GreekModern LatinEnglish

The name comes from Greek 'lithos' (λíθος), meaning 'stone'. It was given to the element in 1817 by Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson, who discovered it in a mineral rather than in plant matter. At the time, the two other alkali metals — sodium and potassium — had been found in plants, so the name 'lithium' was chosen to highlight its origin in the mineral (stone) world.