noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/ˈbɛəɹɪəm/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛəɹɪəm
CMU ARPABET:B EH1 R IY0 AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The chemical element (symbol Ba) with an atomic number of 56. It is a soft, reactive, silvery alkaline earth metal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: barytum
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A single atom of this element.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Barium sulphate suspension.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group; found in barite
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Ba, atomic number 56
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: metallic element, metal
Narrower terms: baryta
History
Etymology
Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1808, from baryta + -ium.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
barium
— chemical element
Albanian:
barium
— chemical element
Arabic:
بَارِيُوم
(bāriyūm)
— chemical element
Armenian:
բարիում
(barium)
— chemical element
Asturian:
bariu
— chemical element
Azerbaijani:
باریوم
(bāriyūm, bārīūm, bāryūm)
— chemical element