Noxiousnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The condition of being detrimental or harmful to health and the environment is defined by the presence of toxic or injurious properties
2. The state characterized by causing damage or adverse effects to living entities and ecosystems is referred to as this quality
3. The state of possessing harmful or poisonous traits capable of causing damage to living organisms or surroundings

Etymology: "Noxiousnesses" is simply the plural of "noxiousness," a noun formed from the adjective "noxious" plus the suffix "-ness." The adjective came into English in the early 1600s, borrowed from the Latin "noxiosus," meaning harmful or hurtful, which itself grew from "noxa," meaning injury or damage. The Latin root also gave English "noxa" and, through it, words like "innocent" in its original sense of "not harmful." The suffix "-ness" is an old Germanic formation, attached to English adjectives since Old English to turn a quality into a noun, so "noxiousness" names the quality of being noxious. The plural form, "noxiousnesses," is rare and appears mainly when writers want to refer to several distinct harmful qualities or instances at once, as in discussions of multiple toxins or hazards.

Synonyms: toxicity, harmfulness, poisonousness, deleteriousness

Antonyms: wholesomeness, beneficialness, innocuousness, healthiness