petrochemical

American  

[pe-troh-kem-i-kuhl] / ˌpɛ troʊˈkɛm ɪ kəl /

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 British  

/ 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 Scientific  

/ pĕt′rō-kĕm′ĭ-kəl /

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 Cultural  

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

---

Other Word Forms

• petrochemically adverb

Etymology

Origin of petrochemical

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

Example Sentences

In recent months there has been concern about the future of the UK petrochemical industry because of the rising cost of energy.

From BBC

With earnings risks tilting to the downside, Yap prefers to minimize exposure to the petrochemical sector.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its seized cargo included "Iranian petrochemical products... illegally transported towards Singapore", the Iranian news agency Fars said, adding that "the main person responsible was an Iranian individual or company".

From Barron's

Olefins and derivatives spreads are likely to remain weak through 4Q and into 2026 due to a persistent regional supply glut driven mainly by China’s aggressive petrochemical capacity expansion.

From The Wall Street Journal

They play a crucial role in fields ranging from pharmaceuticals and batteries to petrochemical operations such as crude oil refining, enabling production systems to meet global demand.

From Science Daily