In chemistry, lacking valence or combining power; unable to form chemical bonds or having zero valence.
From the prefix 'a-' (not) plus 'valent' (from Latin 'valentia,' meaning strength or capacity). The term is a technical formation in chemistry coined in the 19th century.
Noble gases like helium and neon are avalent—they have no 'desire' to form chemical bonds, which is why they're inert, and this peculiarity makes them useful for filling balloons and light bulbs without interfering chemically.
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