Beracun

Beracun is an adjective in Indonesian and Malay meaning poisonous or toxic. It is used to describe substances, organisms, or situations that can cause harm through toxins, venoms, or corrosive effects. The root form racun means poison, and ber- is a prefix that denotes a characteristic or quality of being poisoned or poisonous.

In everyday language, beracun can refer to chemical hazards (bahan beracun), contaminated water (air beracun), poisonous plants or animals (tanaman beracun, ikan beracun), or figuratively to people or environments thought to be harmful (lingkungan beracun, pendapat beracun). It is commonly used in scientific, safety, medical, and journalistic contexts, as well as in law and regulation where toxic substances are classified.

In regulatory terms, toxic substances may be designated as beracun or categorized under classifications such as B3 (bahan berbahaya dan beracun) to indicate that they are both dangerous and poisonous. The term remains general, enabling use across everyday language and formal discourse, while more technical vocabulary (such as toksikologi for toxicology) may be used in specialized settings.