Antoine Lavoisier coined the name oxygen in 1777 and identified it as a chemical element.

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SUPPORTED

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5 sources for · 0 against

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Is it true that Antoine Lavoisier coined the name oxygen in 1777 and identified it as a chemical element?

Yes. Historical evidence confirms that Antoine Lavoisier coined the name oxygen and identified it as a chemical element in the late 1770s.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 5 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 4 Oct 2026

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Judged against reference works: claims of this kind are settled by the historical reference record, not journal abstracts.

Evidence for · 5

Wikipedia: Antoine Lavoisier

Reference article covering this claim directly

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Wikipedia: Antoine Lavoisier. (n.d.). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Lavoisier

2 recorded entries grouped as this source

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Wikipedia: Wikipedia: Antoine Lavoisier

States that Lavoisier named oxygen and recognized it as an element (noting 1778 for naming, though historical consensus generally places coining around 1777-1778).

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Wikipedia: Wikipedia: Antoine Lavoisier. (n.d.). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Lavoisier

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More for · 4

LibreTexts: LibreTexts: 8.05: Oxygen An Abundant and Essential Oxidizing Agent

States explicitly that the name oxygen was coined in 1777 by Antoine Lavoisier, who recognized it as an element.

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LibreTexts: LibreTexts: 8.05%3A Oxygen   An Abundant and Essential Oxidizing Agent. (n.d.). LibreTexts. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Chemistry_for_Changing_Times_(Hill_and_McCreary)/08%3A_Oxidation_and_Reduction/8.05%3A_Oxygen_-_An_Abundant_and_Essential_Oxidizing_Agent

Semantic Scholar peS2o: Harmful Effects of Hyperoxia in Postcardiac Arrest, Sepsis, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Stroke: The Importance of Individualized Oxygen Therapy in Critically Ill Patients

Notes that Lavoisier identified oxygen's role in respiration and gave it its name.

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Semantic Scholar peS2o: Harmful Effects of Hyperoxia in Postcardiac Arrest, Sepsis, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Stroke: The Importance of Individualized Oxygen Therapy in Critically Ill Patients. (n.d.). Semantic Scholar peS2o. http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/crj/2017/2834956.pdf

PubMed / MEDLINE: PubMed: Oxygen, politics and the American Revolution (with a note on the bicentennial of phlogiston).

Confirms that Lavoisier subsequently coined the word oxy-gène after Priestley's work.

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PubMed / MEDLINE: PubMed: Oxygen, politics and the American Revolution (with a note on the bicentennial of phlogiston).. (n.d.). PubMed / MEDLINE. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/791165/

Wikibooks: Wikibooks: Wikijunior:The Elements/Printable version

Shows Lavoisier's textbook listing oxygen as a fundamental element.

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Wikibooks: Wikibooks: Wikijunior:The Elements/Printable version. (n.d.). Wikibooks. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior:The_Elements/Printable_version

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