Inorganic compounds are of inanimate, not biological origin. Inorganic compounds lack carbon and hydrogen atoms and are synthesized by the agency of geological systems. In contrast, the synthesis of organic compounds in biological systems incorporates carbohydrates into the molecular structure. Organic chemists traditionally refer to any molecule containing carbon as an organic compound and by default this means that inorganic chemistry deals with molecules lacking carbon. However, biologists may distinguish organic from inorganic compounds in a different way that does not hinge on the presence of a carbon atom. Pools of organic matter, for example, that have been metabolically incorporated into living tissues persist in decomposing tissues, but as molecules become oxidized into the open environment, such as atmospheric CO₂, this creates a separate pool of inorganic compounds. The distinction between inorganic and organic compounds is not always clear when dealing with open and closed systems, because everything is ultimately connected to everything else on the planet. Some scientists, for example, view the open environment (i.e., the ecosphere) as an extension of life and from this perspective may consider atmospheric CO₂ as an organic compound. IUPAC, an agency widely recognized for defining chemical terms, does not offer definitions of inorganic or organic. Hence, the definition for an inorganic versus an organic compound in a multidisciplinary context spans the division between living (or animate) and non-living (or inanimate) matter and remains open to debate according to the way that one views the world.

無機化合物（むきかごうぶつ Inorganic compound）は、炭素を含まない化合物のことである。単に無機物ともいう。

Um composto inorgânico é a substância na qual os átomos de dois ou mais elementos são combinados. Alguns compostos são chamados de inorgânicos porque vêm de minerais e não de coisas vivas ou orgânicas.

Неорганические вещества – это химические вещества, которые не являются органическими, то есть они не содержат углерода (кроме карбидов, цианидов, карбонатов, оксидов углерода и некоторых других соединений, которые традиционно относят к неорганическим).

Epäorgaaninen yhdiste ("ei-eloperäinen yhdiste") on kemiallinen yhdiste, joka ei ole orgaaninen yhdiste, eli jossa ei ole hiili-hiili-sidoksia. Epäorgaaniset yhdisteet tulevat pääosin ei-biologisista mineraalilähteistä. Epäorgaaniset hiiltä sisältävät yhdisteet ovat lähinnä syanidisuoloja, hiilen oksideja ja karbonaatteja.