phenol

American  

[fee-nawl, -nol] / ˈfi nɔl, -nɒl /

noun

Chemistry.

1. Also called hydroxybenzene, oxybenzene, phenylic acid.  Also called carbolic acid,.  a white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous mass, C 6 H 5 OH, obtained from coal tar, or a hydroxyl derivative of benzene: used chiefly as a disinfectant, as an antiseptic, and in organic synthesis.

2. any analogous hydroxyl derivative of benzene.

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phenol British  

/ ˈfiːnɒl /

noun

1. Also called: carbolic acid.  a white crystalline soluble poisonous acidic derivative of benzene, used as an antiseptic and disinfectant and in the manufacture of resins, nylon, dyes, explosives, and pharmaceuticals; hydroxybenzene. Formula: C 6 H 5 OH

2. chem any of a class of weakly acidic organic compounds whose molecules contain one or more hydroxyl groups bound directly to a carbon atom in an aromatic ring

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phenol Scientific  

/ fē′nôl′,-nōl′ /

1. Any of a class of organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl group (OH) attached to a carbon atom that is part of an aromatic ring. Phenols are similar to alcohols but are more soluble in water, and occur as colorless solids or liquids at room temperature. Some phenols occur naturally in the essential oils of plants. Phenols are used in industry to make plastics and detergents.

2. The simplest phenol, consisting of a benzene ring attached to a hydroxyl group (OH). It is a poisonous, white, crystalline compound and is used to make plastics and drugs. Also called carbolic acid. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₆ O.

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Other Word Forms

• nonphenolic adjective
• phenolic adjective

Etymology

Origin of phenol

First recorded in 1850–55; phen(o)- + -ol ¹

Compare meaning

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

• phenyl vs. phenol

Example Sentences

The sector employs well over a million people and provides the ingredients for all the stuff of modern life, from polyethylene packaging to phenol for painkillers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Gallic acid is a stable phenol and has become a standard measurement to determine phenol content in food.

From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2024

It produces phenol, a toxic chemical precursor, and is often belching noxious fumes into the air.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2022

Dr. Bay wondered if the ink could be created from other bacteria such as Pseudomonas putida, which can clean up the toxin phenol.

From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2021

Minnows have been trained to recognize phenol, and distinguish it from p-chlorophenol, in concentrations of five parts per billion.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas