Lignite

noun

/ˈlɪɡnaɪt/

A soft, brownish-black, low-grade coal with a relatively high moisture content in which the texture of the original wood is often still visible, representing an intermediate stage between peat and bituminous coal in the process of coalification.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

India's heavy reliance on lignite and other low-grade coal for power generation underscores the central tension in its energy transition: reconciling the imperative of affordable, indigenous electricity with the binding commitments of its climate diplomacy.

Synonyms

brown coalsoft coalwoody coalpeat-coalsub-bituminous coal

Antonyms

anthracitebituminous coalhard coal

🌱 Word Family

lignitic (adj), lignin (n), lignum (n), lignocellulose (n)

🔡 Root

Latin lignum = firewood, wood + -ite = mineral suffix; first recorded in English 1808

📜 Etymology

From French lignite, from Latin lignum ("firewood, wood") + the mineral suffix -ite; first recorded in English in 1808.

🧠 Memory Hook

Lignite hides the Latin LIGNUM ("wood") - picture a "light" (lig-) brown coal that still looks like burnt wood, the lowest grade you can ignite.

🌍 Geography 📖 Seen in: Resources and Environment

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