What does amide mean?
An amide is a chemical compound characterized by a nitrogen atom bonded directly to a carbonyl carbon, giving the functional group –C(=O)–N. In organic chemistry, amides are understood formally as derivatives of carboxylic acids in which the hydroxyl group has been replaced by an amino group; they range from simple molecules like acetamide to vast biological structures. Their importance is hard to overstate: the peptide bonds that join amino acids into proteins are amide bonds, making this linkage fundamental to all known life. Amides also appear widely in synthetic materials — nylon, for instance, is built from repeating amide units — and in pharmaceuticals, where the group's stability and hydrogen-bonding ability make it a favorite of medicinal chemists. In inorganic chemistry, the term extends to compounds such as sodium amide, formally derived from ammonia by replacing hydrogen with a metal. The word is strictly technical, belonging to laboratory and classroom rather than casual conversation, yet the concept it names underpins both biochemistry and modern materials science.
nounAn organic compound derived from a carboxylic acid in which the hydroxyl group is replaced by an amino group (or substituted amino group), containing the functional group –CONH₂ or related forms. More broadly in inorganic chemistry, any compound formally derived from ammonia by replacing hydrogen with a metal or other element.
- In organic chemistry, a compound of the form R–C(=O)–NH₂ (or N-substituted variants), formed formally by replacing the –OH of a carboxylic acid with an amino group.
- In inorganic chemistry, a compound derived from ammonia by replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms by a metal or other electropositive element (e.g., sodium amide, NaNH₂).
"The peptide bonds that link amino acids into proteins are amide bonds."
"Acetamide, the simplest amide after formamide, melts at around 82 °C."
"Sodium amide is a strong base used to generate acetylide ions in synthesis."
Standard English plural; used when discussing classes of these compounds collectively.
"Amides are generally less reactive than acid chlorides but more so than esters."
Every protein in your body is held together by amide bonds — the same linkage chemists write as –CO–NH–.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of amide
The word 'amide' was coined in the early nineteenth century within the developing field of organic chemistry, combining elements of 'ammonia' and 'acid' to name compounds intermediate between them. It belongs to the family of nitrogen-related chemical terms descended from 'ammonia', alongside 'amine' and 'amino'. Its adoption spread through European chemical literature as structural theory clarified the relationship between acids and their nitrogen analogues.
How amide is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in chemistry and biochemistry contexts; it carries no informal register and no emotional connotation. In everyday speech outside science, 'amide' is rarely encountered, though its presence in proteins makes it familiar territory for students of biology and medicine.
Easily confused with amide
An amine contains nitrogen bonded to carbons or hydrogens without the carbonyl group, whereas an amide features nitrogen directly attached to a carbonyl carbon (–CONH₂).
An imide has two acyl groups bonded to a single nitrogen atom, whereas an amide has one acyl group attached to nitrogen.