decarbonize

verb

de·​car·​bon·​ize (ˌ)dē-ˈkär-bə-ˌnīz How to pronounce decarbonize (audio)
decarbonized; decarbonizing; decarbonizes

transitive verb

1
: to remove carbon from (something)
It's usually not necessary to dismantle the engine to decarbonize it anymore.Allen D. Berrien
2
: to reduce the levels of carbon emissions (such as carbon dioxide) caused by or involved in (something, such as a facility, process, or organization)
… we must decarbonize the energy supply by developing forms of power that emit less greenhouse gas or none at all.Daniel Ben-Ami
[Steve] Cohen is confident that we will be able to decarbonize our economy in time to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.Renee Cho

intransitive verb

: to reduce the production of carbon emissions
Certainly, people at Airbus say they need to decarbonize, and research on battery technology for electric planes has been disappointing.Ned Potter
decarbonizer noun

Examples of decarbonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And with the nuclear sector showing signs of undergoing a renaissance—as countries look to decarbonize energy production and with the tech sector seeking ways to power its electricity-hungry AI systems—the pressure for nuclear-waste disposal is likely to grow. Marta Abbà, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025 Countries around the globe, including some of the biggest emitters, have made ambitious goals to decarbonize their economies in the coming decades. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2025 In the view of the Biden administration, the challenges the United States faces—lagging growth, the hollowing out of its industrial base, inequality, damage to democracy, competition with China, and the need to decarbonize to combat climate change—are hardly unique to the United States. Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 The power sector remains the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and there will be no way to add enough intermittent clean energy to sufficiently decarbonize the grid without cheap and plentiful storage. Umair Irfan, Vox, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decarbonize

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decarbonize was in 1821

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Cite this Entry

“Decarbonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decarbonize. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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