💉 With many antibodies 🧪 Many valences 🔢 Many truth values

polyvalent

9.1

Able to form different bonds with other atoms

adjective
/ˌpɒliˈveɪlənt/

Specialized

: polivalente

Copper is considered a polyvalent element because it can have more than one valence state.

Examples

In the lab, a polyvalent ion can participate in several different types of chemical bonds.
Copper is a polyvalent metal.
The vaccine is polyvalent, protecting against multiple strains of the virus.
Iron is polyvalent.
In the lab, a polyvalent ion can participate in several different types of chemical bonds.
Copper is considered a polyvalent element because it can have more than one valence state.
The vaccine is polyvalent, protecting against multiple strains of the virus.

Synonyms

multivalent

vspolyvalent

Specialized

9.6

Able to form more than one kind of chemical bond

is limited to elements and ions, excluding molecules and therefore narrower in scope

Antonyms

monovalent

Specialized

9.1

Able to join with only one other atom, for example hydrogen

How Many

polyvalent

Specialized

9.1

trivalent

Specialized

7.9

bivalent

Specialized

8.9

univalent

Specialized

9.6

Surface Forms

polyvalent positive

Morphology

polyvalent = valent (transparent) = poly + valent

This is a straightforward technical use of 'poly-' plus 'valent' in the chemistry sense of having multiple valences.

Etymology

Polyvalent uses poly- 'many' and -valent 'having strength', and it is the same idea behind the word valence in chemistry, so a polyvalent element or ion can form several different bonds because it has 'many' valences.