Melamine /ˈmɛləmiːn/ ^ⓘ is an organic compound with the formula C₃H₆N₆. This white solid is a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass, and its derivatives have fire-retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred. Melamine can be combined with formaldehyde and other agents to produce melamine resins. Such resins are characteristically durable thermosetting plastic used in high-pressure decorative laminates such as Formica, melamine dinnerware including cooking utensils, plates, and plastic products, laminate flooring, and dry erase boards. Melamine foam is used as insulation and soundproofing material, and in polymeric cleaning products such as Magic Eraser.

Melamine can be toxic, with toxicity similar to that of common table salt.

Melamine gained infamy when Chinese food producers Sanlu Group added it to baby formula in order to increase the apparent protein content, causing the 2008 Chinese milk scandal. Ingestion of melamine may lead to reproductive damage, or bladder or kidney stones, and bladder cancer. It is also an irritant when inhaled or in contact with the skin or eyes. The United Nations' food standards body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, has set the maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula to 1 mg/kg and the amount of the chemical allowed in other foods and animal feed to 2.5 mg/kg. While not legally binding, the levels allow countries to ban importation of products with excessive levels of melamine.

The German word Melamin was coined by combining the words melam (a derivative of ammonium thiocyanate) and amine. Melamine is, therefore, unrelated etymologically to the root melas (μέλας, meaning 'black' in Greek), from which the words melanin, a pigment, and melatonin, a hormone, are formed.

In one large-scale application, melamine is combined with formaldehyde and other agents to produce melamine resins. Such resins are characteristically durable thermosetting plastic used in high-pressure decorative laminates such as Wilsonart, melamine dinnerware, laminate flooring, and dry erase boards. Melamine cookware is not microwave-safe, and can be identified from the fact it is "slightly heavier and noticeably thicker than its plastic counterparts."

Melamine foam is used as insulation, soundproofing material and in polymeric cleaning products, such as Magic Eraser.

Melamine is one of the major components in Pigment Yellow 150, a colorant in inks and plastics.

Melamine also is used in the fabrication of melamine polysulfonate, used as a superplasticizer for making high-resistance concrete. Sulfonated melamine formaldehyde (SMF) is a polymer used as a cement admixture to reduce the water content in concrete while increasing the fluidity and the workability of the mix during handling and pouring. It results in concrete with a lower porosity and a higher mechanical strength, exhibiting an improved resistance to aggressive environments and a longer lifetime.