What describes an ionic compound?

An ionic compound is defined as being formed from positive and negative ions. In the formation of ionic compounds, metal atoms typically lose one or more electrons to become positively charged ions (cations), while nonmetal atoms gain electrons to become negatively charged ions (anions). The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions results in the formation of an ionic bond, leading to the creation of a structured lattice that characterizes ionic compounds.

In contrast, the other options describe different types of chemical bonding or compounds. For instance, sharing of electrons between atoms characterizes covalent compounds rather than ionic ones. Additionally, ionic compounds generally consist of a combination of metals and nonmetals instead of being composed solely of nonmetals, which is a characteristic of covalent compounds. Lastly, ionic compounds do not consist of neutral molecules, as they are formed from distinct cations and anions rather than neutral molecular entities. Therefore, the defining feature of ionic compounds is indeed the presence of positive and negative ions.