mendelevium

English

WOTD – 8 February 2026
Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Etymology

From a modified version of Mendeleev +‎ -ium (suffix forming names of metal elements), named in honour of the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (1834–1907) who formulated the periodic law and created an early version of the periodic table of elements.[1] The word was proposed by a team from the University of California, Berkeley, comprising the team leader Stanley Gerald Thompson and members Gregory Robert Choppin, Albert Ghiorso, Bernard George Harvey, and Glenn T. Seaborg, who artificially synthesized the element in early 1955.[2] (The same name was proposed, but rejected, for the earlier-discovered elements berkelium and erbium.)

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: mĕndəlēv'ēəm, IPA(key): /ˌmɛn.dəˈliː.vi.əm/, /-ˈleɪ-/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌmɛn.dəˈli.vi.əm/, /-ˈleɪ-/
  • Audio (General American); /ˌmɛn.dəˈli.vi.əm/:(file)
    (file)
  • Hyphenation: men‧de‧lev‧i‧um

Noun

mendelevium (uncountable)

  1. (chemistry) A radioactive metallic transuranic chemical element (symbol Md) with atomic number 101, which is artificially produced in a particle accelerator.
    Synonyms: (symbol) Md, (symbol, obsolete) Mv, (dated) unnilunium
    • 1955 May 14, “Element 101 Discovered”, in Science News Letter, volume 67, number 20, Washington, D.C.: Science Service, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 307, column 1:
      Mendelevium, the heaviest and rarest form of matter known, has been produced in the University of California's cyclotron. Identity based on only 17 atoms of new element [subtitle]. [] Mendelevium is intensely radioactive, decaying by spontaneous fission. Its half-life is between a half hour and three hours. It has chemical properties similar to those of thulium, element 69, a rare earth.
    • 1959 (date composed), Tom Lehrer, “The Elements”, in Too Many Songs, New York, N.Y.: Pantheon Books, published 1981, →ISBN, part 2 (From An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer), page 151, column 2:
      There's sulfur, californium, and fermium, berkelium, / And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium, / And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc, and rhodium, / And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin, and sodium.
    • 1963 January, “Physical Research: New Physical Research Facilities”, in Major Activities in the Atomic Energy Programs: January–December 1962, United States Atomic Energy Commission, United States Government Printing Office, →OCLC, part 4 (Other Major Programs), page 336:
      Seven new elements were discovered with the 60-inch cyclotron: 85 (astatine), 93 (neptunium), 94 (plutonium), 96 (curium), 97 (berkelium), 98 (californium), and 101 (mendeleevium).
    • 1987, R. S. Baghavan, “The Transformation from Quantity to Quality and Quality to Quantity”, in An Introduction to the Philosophy of Marxism, 2nd edition, part I, London: Socialist Platform, →ISBN, page 115:
      In the expert hands of Enrico Fermi, beginning with 1934, neutron bombardment produced new atomic miracles. In 1940, Fermi created neptunium (Z = 93), the first artificial, 'trans-uranic', element. Others, also unstable, soon followed, among them fermium (Z = 100) and mendeleyevium (Z = 101).
      First published as a series of articles in the magazine Young Socialist (Ceylon, 1962–1970).
    • 2025 July, Iain MacGregor, “Notes [to chapter 6]”, in The Hiroshima Men: The Quest to Build the Atomic Bomb, and the Fateful Decision to Use It, 1st Scribner hardcover edition, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN, endnote 6, page 381:
      [Glenn Theodore] Seaborg would be the principal co-discoverer of ten elements on the periodic table: plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium, and element 106.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ mendelevium, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023; mendelevium, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. ^ A[lbert] Ghiorso, B[ernard] G[eorge] Harvey, G[regory] R[obert] Choppin, S[tanley] G[erald] Thompson, Glenn T[heodore] Seaborg (1 June 1955), “New Element Mendelevium, Atomic Number 101”, in Physical Review, volume 98, number 5, Lancaster, Pa.: [] [F]or the American Physical Society by the American Institute of Physics, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1519, column 2; reprinted in Glenn T. Seaborg, editor, Modern Alchemy: Selected Papers of Glenn T. Seaborg (World Scientific Series in 20th Century Chemistry; 2), Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 1994, →ISBN, part I (New Elements, New Isotopes, Actinide Concept), page 101:
    We would like to suggest the name mendelevium, symbol Mv, for the new element in recognition of the pioneering role of the great Russian chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev, who was the first to use the periodic system of the elements to predict the chemical properties of undiscovered elements, a principle which has been the key to the discovery of the last seven transuranium (actinide) elements.

Further reading

Afrikaans

Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Noun

mendelevium (uncountable)

  1. mendelevium

Danish

Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Etymology

From Russian Менделеев (Mendelejev) +‎ -ium. Named after the scientist Dmitri Mendeleev

Noun

mendelevium n (singular definite mendeleviummet, not used in plural form)

  1. mendelevium

Declension

Declension of mendelevium
neuter
gender
singular
indefinite definite
nominative mendelevium mendeleviummet
genitive mendeleviums mendeleviummets

References

Dutch

Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Pronunciation

  • Audio:(file)

Noun

mendelevium n (uncountable, no diminutive)

  1. mendelevium

Finnish

Etymology

Internationalism (see English mendelevium).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmendeleʋium/, [ˈme̞nde̞ˌle̞ʋium]
  • Rhymes: -eʋium
  • Syllabification(key): men‧de‧le‧vi‧um
  • Hyphenation(key): men‧de‧le‧vi‧um

Noun

mendelevium

  1. mendelevium

Declension

Inflection of mendelevium (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative mendelevium mendeleviumit
genitive mendeleviumin mendeleviumien
partitive mendeleviumia mendeleviumeja
illative mendeleviumiin mendeleviumeihin
singular plural
nominative mendelevium mendeleviumit
accusative nom. mendelevium mendeleviumit
gen. mendeleviumin
genitive mendeleviumin mendeleviumien
partitive mendeleviumia mendeleviumeja
inessive mendeleviumissa mendeleviumeissa
elative mendeleviumista mendeleviumeista
illative mendeleviumiin mendeleviumeihin
adessive mendeleviumilla mendeleviumeilla
ablative mendeleviumilta mendeleviumeilta
allative mendeleviumille mendeleviumeille
essive mendeleviumina mendeleviumeina
translative mendeleviumiksi mendeleviumeiksi
abessive mendeleviumitta mendeleviumeitta
instructive mendeleviumein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of mendelevium (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative mendeleviumini mendeleviumini
accusative nom. mendeleviumini mendeleviumini
gen. mendeleviumini
genitive mendeleviumini mendeleviumieni
partitive mendeleviumiani mendeleviumejani
inessive mendeleviumissani mendeleviumeissani
elative mendeleviumistani mendeleviumeistani
illative mendeleviumiini mendeleviumeihini
adessive mendeleviumillani mendeleviumeillani
ablative mendeleviumiltani mendeleviumeiltani
allative mendeleviumilleni mendeleviumeilleni
essive mendeleviuminani mendeleviumeinani
translative mendeleviumikseni mendeleviumeikseni
abessive mendeleviumittani mendeleviumeittani
instructive
comitative mendeleviumeineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative mendeleviumisi mendeleviumisi
accusative nom. mendeleviumisi mendeleviumisi
gen. mendeleviumisi
genitive mendeleviumisi mendeleviumiesi
partitive mendeleviumiasi mendeleviumejasi
inessive mendeleviumissasi mendeleviumeissasi
elative mendeleviumistasi mendeleviumeistasi
illative mendeleviumiisi mendeleviumeihisi
adessive mendeleviumillasi mendeleviumeillasi
ablative mendeleviumiltasi mendeleviumeiltasi
allative mendeleviumillesi mendeleviumeillesi
essive mendeleviuminasi mendeleviumeinasi
translative mendeleviumiksesi mendeleviumeiksesi
abessive mendeleviumittasi mendeleviumeittasi
instructive
comitative mendeleviumeinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative mendeleviumimme mendeleviumimme
accusative nom. mendeleviumimme mendeleviumimme
gen. mendeleviumimme
genitive mendeleviumimme mendeleviumiemme
partitive mendeleviumiamme mendeleviumejamme
inessive mendeleviumissamme mendeleviumeissamme
elative mendeleviumistamme mendeleviumeistamme
illative mendeleviumiimme mendeleviumeihimme
adessive mendeleviumillamme mendeleviumeillamme
ablative mendeleviumiltamme mendeleviumeiltamme
allative mendeleviumillemme mendeleviumeillemme
essive mendeleviuminamme mendeleviumeinamme
translative mendeleviumiksemme mendeleviumeiksemme
abessive mendeleviumittamme mendeleviumeittamme
instructive
comitative mendeleviumeinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative mendeleviuminne mendeleviuminne
accusative nom. mendeleviuminne mendeleviuminne
gen. mendeleviuminne
genitive mendeleviuminne mendeleviumienne
partitive mendeleviumianne mendeleviumejanne
inessive mendeleviumissanne mendeleviumeissanne
elative mendeleviumistanne mendeleviumeistanne
illative mendeleviumiinne mendeleviumeihinne
adessive mendeleviumillanne mendeleviumeillanne
ablative mendeleviumiltanne mendeleviumeiltanne
allative mendeleviumillenne mendeleviumeillenne
essive mendeleviuminanne mendeleviumeinanne
translative mendeleviumiksenne mendeleviumeiksenne
abessive mendeleviumittanne mendeleviumeittanne
instructive
comitative mendeleviumeinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative mendeleviuminsa mendeleviuminsa
accusative nom. mendeleviuminsa mendeleviuminsa
gen. mendeleviuminsa
genitive mendeleviuminsa mendeleviumiensa
partitive mendeleviumiaan
mendeleviumiansa
mendeleviumejaan
mendeleviumejansa
inessive mendeleviumissaan
mendeleviumissansa
mendeleviumeissaan
mendeleviumeissansa
elative mendeleviumistaan
mendeleviumistansa
mendeleviumeistaan
mendeleviumeistansa
illative mendeleviumiinsa mendeleviumeihinsa
adessive mendeleviumillaan
mendeleviumillansa
mendeleviumeillaan
mendeleviumeillansa
ablative mendeleviumiltaan
mendeleviumiltansa
mendeleviumeiltaan
mendeleviumeiltansa
allative mendeleviumilleen
mendeleviumillensa
mendeleviumeilleen
mendeleviumeillensa
essive mendeleviuminaan
mendeleviuminansa
mendeleviumeinaan
mendeleviumeinansa
translative mendeleviumikseen
mendeleviumiksensa
mendeleviumeikseen
mendeleviumeiksensa
abessive mendeleviumittaan
mendeleviumittansa
mendeleviumeittaan
mendeleviumeittansa
instructive
comitative mendeleviumeineen
mendeleviumeinensa

Latin

Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Etymology

Named after Russian chemist and inventor Дми́трий Ива́нович Менделе́ев (Dmítrij Ivánovič Mendeléev) (1834–1907).
Derived from Mendeleev +‎ -ium (chemical element suffix).

Pronunciation

Noun

mendelēvium n (genitive mendelēviī); second declension

  1. (New Latin, chemistry) mendelevium

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Descendants

  • English: mendelevium
  • Italian: mendelevio

Malay

Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Etymology

From English mendelevium.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [mɛndəlɛviom], [mɛndəlɛviəm]
  • Rhymes: -iom, -jom, -om

Noun

mendelevium

  1. mendelevium (chemical element)

Slovak

Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmɛndɛlɛvɪjʊm/

Noun

mendelevium n (genitive singular mendelevia, declension pattern of mesto)

  1. mendelevium (element)

Declension

Declension of mendelevium
singulare tantum
nominative mendelevium
genitive mendelevia
dative mendeleviu
accusative mendelevium
locative mendeleviu
instrumental mendeleviom

Further reading

Swedish

Chemical element
Md
Previous: fermium (Fm)
Next: nobelium (No)

Noun

mendelevium n

  1. mendelevium

Declension

Declension of mendelevium
nominative genitive
singular indefinite mendelevium mendeleviums
definite mendeleviumet mendeleviumets
plural indefinite
definite
Declension of mendelevium
nominative genitive
singular indefinite mendelevium mendeleviums
definite mendeleviet mendeleviets
plural indefinite
definite
Declension of mendelevium
nominative genitive
singular indefinite mendelevium mendeleviums
definite mendelevium mendeleviums
plural indefinite
definite

References