Phrase guide

particulate matter

noun · 2 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state, especially when considered as an atmospheric pollutant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: particulates, PM

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a small discrete mass of solid or liquid matter that remains individually dispersed in gas or liquid emissions (usually considered to be an atmospheric pollutant)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: particulate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: material, stuff

Narrower terms: dust

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 懸浮微粒 /悬浮微粒 (xuánfúwēilì) — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Chinese Mandarin: 顆粒物 /颗粒物 (kēlìwù) — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Chinese Mandarin: 懸浮粒子 /悬浮粒子 (xuánfúlìzǐ) — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Finnish: pienhiukkaset — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • French: particules — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • German: Feinstaub — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Hungarian: szálló por — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Italian: particolato — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Japanese: 粒子状物質 (riyūshijōbusshitsu) — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Korean: 미세먼지 (misemeonji) — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Polish: cząstki stałe — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Polish: pył zawieszony — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Portuguese: material particulado — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state
  • Spanish: material particulado — solid or liquid in a finely subdivided state