adjective
- having a strong tendency to attract electrons in a chemical bond
Usage: chemistry term; used to describe atoms or elements
Examples
- Oxygen is highly electronegative and pulls electrons toward itself in water molecules.
- Fluorine is the most electronegative element on the periodic table.
- In a polar covalent bond, the more electronegative atom carries a partial negative charge.
- Chlorine's electronegative nature makes it useful in many industrial processes.
- The electronegative atoms in the molecule determine how the electrons are distributed.