acetic acid

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, pungent, water-miscible liquid, C 2 H 4 O 2 , the essential constituent of vinegar, produced by oxidation of acetaldehyde, bacterial action on ethyl alcohol, the reaction of methyl alcohol with carbon monoxide, and other processes: used chiefly in the manufacture of acetate fibers and in the production of numerous esters that are solvents and flavoring agents.

---

acetic acid British  

noun

1. Systematic name: ethanoic acid.  a colourless pungent liquid, miscible with water, widely used in the manufacture of acetic anhydride, vinyl acetate, plastics, pharmaceuticals, dyes, etc. Formula: CH 3 COOH See also glacial acetic acid vinegar

---

acetic acid Scientific  

1. A clear, colorless organic acid having a distinctive pungent odor. It is used as a solvent and in the manufacture of rubber, plastics, acetate fibers, pharmaceuticals, and photographic chemicals. Acetic acid is the chief acid of vinegar. Chemical formula: C ₂ H ₄ O ₂ .

---

Etymology

Origin of acetic acid

First recorded in 1800–10

Compare meaning

How does acetic-acid compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• glacial acetic acid vs. acetic acid

Example Sentences

They include companies like Chemours and Tronox, which make titanium dioxide, a pigment used in paint and wallpaper, and Celanese, which produces acetic acid, a key ingredient in many industrial products.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Sixty jobs will go at the Ineos Acetyls site near Hull, which makes products including acetic acid used in manufacturing.

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025

Bacteria, colored blue, metabolize sugars and release byproducts such as lactic acid and acetic acid.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2024

They started with an established method to synthesize a biocompatible chromium-containing MOF and added a step with an acetic acid rinse.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2024

Acid purification: treatment of the raw fibre with 20% acetic acid for one minute, the product being washed with water and alcohol, and then dried.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 3 "Fenton, Edward" to "Finistere" by Various