linoleic acid

American

Also linolic acid

noun

Chemistry.

an unsaturated fatty acid, C 18 H 32 O 2 , occurring as a glyceride in drying oils, as in linseed oil.

linoleic acid British

/ ˌlɪnəʊˈliːɪk /

noun

a colourless oily essential fatty acid found in many natural oils, such as linseed: used in the manufacture of soaps, emulsifiers, and driers. Formula: C 18 H 32 O 2

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

linoleic acid Scientific

/ lĭn′ə-lē′ĭk /

An unsaturated fatty acid that has two double bonds and is a nutrient essential for prostaglandin production in the human body. It is an important component of many vegetable oils, such as linseed, soybean, peanut, corn, and safflower oil, and is also found in meat and dairy products. Chemical formula: C ₁₈ H ₃₂ O ₂ .

Etymology

Origin of linoleic acid

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

linoleic acid

Researchers are now examining how oxylipins lead to weight gain and whether similar reactions occur with other oils high in linoleic acid, including corn, sunflower, and safflower oils.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2025

Finally, milk contains conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid found in meat and dairy products, which, according to a 2021 labratory study, could also have anti-cancer properties.

From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2025

My scared-straight moment: A 2022 study at Wake Forest University showed that Alzheimer’s patients had linoleic acid blood levels that were 56 percent higher than people without cognitive impairment.

From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2024

The reasoning is that linoleic acid turns into a different fatty acid, arachidonic acid, in the body, and arachidonic acid is a building block for compounds that cause inflammation.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2023

Some oils, indeed, do consist of olein, almond oil being a type, others contain a glyceride of an acid which is distinguished from oleic acid by containing one molecule less hydrogen, called linoleic acid.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023