petrochemical

[pe-troh-kem-i-kuhl]

noun

1. a chemical substance obtained from petroleum or natural gas, as gasoline, kerosene, or petrolatum.

adjective

1. of or relating to petrochemistry or a petrochemical.

petrochemical

/ ˌpɛtrəʊˈkɛmɪkəl /

noun

1. any substance, such as acetone or ethanol, obtained from petroleum or natural gas

adjective

1. of, concerned with, or obtained from petrochemicals or related to petrochemistry

petrochemical

1. Any of a large number of chemicals made from petroleum or natural gas. Important petrochemicals include benzene, ammonia, acetylene, and polystyrene. Petrochemicals are used to produce a wide variety of materials, such as plastics, explosives, fertilizers, and synthetic fibers.

petrochemical

1. Any material made from substances found in oil or natural gas. Most plastics are petrochemicals.

Other Word Forms

• petrochemically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of petrochemical¹

First recorded in 1910–15; petro- ² + chemical

Example Sentences

Ukraine has stepped up its own long-range drone attacks on Russian airports and critical infrastructure like petrochemical plants, bringing the war home to ordinary Russians.

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The U.S. is expected to drive oil demand in the Americas region next year, driven by transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstock.

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The Saudi Aramco-controlled South Korean refiner is expected to continue its earnings improvement on strong refining margins despite its weak petrochemical business, Kang says.

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Exports of ships and petroleum products also grew year-over-year in October, while those of cars, batteries, petrochemicals and steel products fell.

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The company has suffered from an oversupply of petrochemicals due to the entry of a rash of new producers, particularly in China.

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