oxidation state
noun Chemistry.
the state of an element or ion in a compound with regard to the electrons gained or lost by the element or ion in the reaction that formed the compound, expressed as a positive or negative number indicating the ionic charge of the element or ion.
Also called
oxidation number.
Origin of oxidation state
First recorded in 1945–50
Words nearby oxidation state
oxidant smog,
oxidase,
oxidate,
oxidation,
oxidation potential,
oxidation state,
oxidation-reduction,
oxidative,
oxidative phosphorylation,
oxidative stress,
oxide
Scientific definitions for oxidation number
oxidation state
See valence.