acrylic

American  

[uh-kril-ik] / əˈkrɪl ɪk /

adjective

1. of or derived from acrylic acid.

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noun

• acrylics
  plural

1. acrylic fiber.

2. acrylic resin.

3. a paint, prepared especially for artists, in which an acrylic resin serves as a vehicle.

4. a painting done with this type of paint.

   She sold several acrylics during the show.

acrylic British  

/ əˈkrɪlɪk /

adjective

1. of, derived from, or concerned with acrylic acid

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noun

1. short for acrylic fibre acrylic resin

2. a paint or colour containing acrylic resin

acrylic Scientific  

/ ə-krĭl′ĭk /

1. An acrylic resin.

2. A paint containing acrylic resin.

3. An acrylic fiber.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• acrylics
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of acrylic

First recorded in 1855–60; acr(olein) + -yl + -ic

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Explanation

Acrylic is a kind of plastic, fabric, fiber, or paint that's made from acrylic acid. You might knit your mom an acrylic hat if she's allergic to wool. Anything made of acrylic is synthetic — it's not a natural substance or fiber, but was made in a lab or factory from artificial materials. Acrylic paint is a quick-drying, water-soluble kind of paint that artists often use instead of oil paint or watercolors. The original meaning of acrylic was "containing acryl," from acrolein, the sharp, bitter liquid in onions, rooted in the Latin words acer, "sharp," and olere, "to smell."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acrylic acrylics

She added that she is noticing "people are willing to spend a little bit more" on wardrobe staples and items that "wash well and are made of cotton, not acrylic or polyester".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

But her guitar was banned from the set - so she made the beat by strumming her acrylic nails together.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

One of his acrylic paintings, featuring two angels soaring above the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. monument, now anchors a larger body of work, “Los Angelitos.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Rahele Jomepour Bell’s deft use of acrylic paint and soft pastels evokes a world of hazy tranquility, a palette of greens, golds and oranges imbuing each page with a palpable warmth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Jon’s apartment over the luggage store is long and narrow and smells of acrylic and used socks, and has only two rooms plus the bathroom.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

However, cash flow from the surge in acrylics margins shouldn’t be used to continue a dividend policy that was devised during better times, Bray says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

However, a closer look "reveals that these dented cans were meticulously hand-painted with acrylics", the LAM museum in Lisse said.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2024

The basic materials -- usually epoxies or acrylics -- come mostly from petrochemical feedstocks.

From Science Daily ● May 15, 2024

Supposedly, stain painting, where liquid acrylics are poured directly onto raw canvas, was art’s next logical step after Abstract Expressionism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2023

He paints very swiftly, in violent eye-burning acrylics, reds and pinks and purples, in frenzied loops and swirls.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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