vinyl

American  

[vahyn-l] / ˈvaɪn l /

noun

vinyls plural

1. Chemistry. the vinyl group, the univalent group C 2 H 3 , derived from ethylene.

2. any resin formed by polymerizing vinyl compounds, or any of a group of plastics made from such resins.

   This flooring is vinyl, although it looks like wood.

3. 1. phonograph records made of vinyl, considered collectively.

      I'd like to sell my collection of vinyl.

   2. vinyl as the material or medium for such records or recordings.

      songs recorded on vinyl.

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adjective

1. Chemistry. containing the vinyl group.

vinyl British  

/ ˈvaɪnɪl /

noun

1. (modifier) of, consisting of, or containing the monovalent group of atoms CH 2 CH-

   a vinyl polymer

   vinyl chloride

2. (modifier) of, consisting of, or made of a vinyl resin

   a vinyl raincoat

3. any vinyl polymer, resin, or plastic, esp PVC

4. (collectively) conventional records made of vinyl as opposed to compact discs

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vinyl Scientific  

/ vī′nəl /

1. The group C ₂ H ₃, derived from ethylene.

2. Any of various chemical compounds, typically highly reactive, that contain this group and are used in making plastics.

3. Any of various plastics made of vinyl, typically tough, flexible, and shiny, often used in upholstery and clothing.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• vinyls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vinyl

1860–65; < Latin vīn ( um ) wine + -yl

Explanation

Vinyl is a common type of plastic that's often found on kitchen floors, in plumbing pipes and fittings, and in medical equipment. If you have a record player, you might enjoy hunting for vintage vinyl records at your local music store or thrift shop. It would be hard to get through an entire day without using, or at least seeing, vinyl. From underground sewer pipes to raincoats, boots, toys, and water bottles, vinyl is all around us. Before CDs (and streaming services), music was pressed on vinyl, and some people think music sounds better this way. This versatile material was discovered accidentally in the 1920s by a scientist who experimented with it by making shoe heels and golf balls. Vinyl is short for polyvinyl, or "a polymer of vinyl chloride."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vinyl vinyls

Those queuing to meet her included a starstruck 21-year-old man clutching a 1980s vinyl album.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Likewise, records can be stored on vinyl or compact discs.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026

"Allan Taylor - The Traveller I found in a record store in Williamsburg, and I love it. Can't find it anywhere online, so feels like a special vinyl in the collection."

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

For the time being, vinyl records made from reclaimed materials are the best that companies like Swanson’s can do, though they’re are always on the lookout for other, viable options for improving their footprint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

Sometimes she went downstairs to the kitchen, ran her hands over the sticky, grease-stained counter, the vinyl, flowered curtains that smelled like burned meals.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Asia drove the rise in vinyls and CDs, while these formats were almost non-existent in the North Africa and Middle East market, where streaming accounts for 97.5 percent of revenue.

From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026

Unless you worked for Ford’s plastics, paint and vinyls division in the 1980s, you probably don’t know the name Jim Moylan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026

"We need at least a discount refund, or be able to refund altogether since the CDs and vinyls delivered are not what was listed," added a second.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2024

The gift I would buy myself that coincides with my astrological sign: As a Cancer sun, I can never have enough books, candles or vinyls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2023

Back then, most DJs could spin for only a few hours; they were limited by the number of vinyls they could buy.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah