Flame-retardant
What it means
Treated or made to resist catching fire.
Reach for it when describing material treated or made to slow ignition or flame spread
Flame-retardant curtains improve safety in the busy theater.
Words to choose between 5
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional |
|
-
everyday
fire-retardant
Fits when the applicable terminology uses fire rather than flame
Careful Fire-retardant still means delay, not immunity.
-
warm
treated
Fits when a protective treatment is the only verified fact
Careful Treated is too vague unless the treatment and result are named.
-
professional
Fits when an assembly withstands fire for a rated period
Careful A resistant assembly is not interchangeable with treated fabric.
-
professional
flame-resistant
Fits when a tested material resists ignition or spread
Careful Resistance and retardancy can refer to different test properties.
-
professional
self-extinguishing
Fits when burning stops after the ignition source is removed
Careful Self-extinguishing says nothing about smoke or heat release.
Opposites 3
- flammable
- combustible
- untreated
Common phrases 3
-
flame-retardant fabric
The theater installed flame-retardant fabric around the stage.
-
flame-retardant treatment
The label identifies the flame-retardant treatment used.
-
flame-retardant material
Inspectors sampled the flame-retardant material after renovation.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Fire-safety terms depend on test method and jurisdiction; do not imply that flame-retardant material cannot burn.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated