carboxylic acid

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. any organic acid containing one or more carboxyl groups.

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carboxylic acid British  

/ ˌkɑːbɒkˈsɪlɪk /

noun

1. any of a class of organic acids containing the carboxyl group See also fatty acid

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carboxylic acid Scientific  

/ kär′bŏk-sĭl′ĭk /

1. An organic acid containing one or more carboxyl groups. Carboxylic acids often have names ending in –oic acid, such as benzoic acid. Amino acids, fatty acids, and many other important organic compounds are carboxylic acids.

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Etymology

Origin of carboxylic acid

First recorded in 1900–05; carboxyl + -ic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carboxylic acid

Others included a carboxylic acid moiety or a methyl ester side chain.

From Science Daily ● May 27, 2026

The sebum is then eaten by the millions of beneficial microorganisms that colonize our skin to produce more carboxylic acid.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 18, 2022

Compounds used in flame retardants and batteries, for example, contain a sulfonate group instead of a carboxylic acid group and won’t break down with this approach.

From Science Magazine ● Aug. 17, 2022

You’ll recognize them from the labels of your beloved beauty products: glycerin, lactic acid, amino acids, urea, and sodium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid.

From Slate ● Jan. 12, 2022

E. Frankland and B. F. Duppa in 1865 examined the reaction and concluded that Geuther's sodium salt was a derivative of the ethyl ester of acetone carboxylic acid and possessed the constitution CH6CO.CHNa.COOC2H5.

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg