polyvinyl

American

[pol-ee-vahyn-l] / ˌpɒl iˈvaɪn l /

adjective

Chemistry.

pertaining to or derived from a vinyl polymer.

polyvinyl British

/ -ˈvaɪnəl, ˌpɒlɪˈvaɪnɪl /

noun

(modifier) designating a plastic or resin formed by polymerization of a vinyl derivative

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of polyvinyl

First recorded in 1930–35; poly- + vinyl

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They blended it with modified starch and bentonite nanoclay, then added glycerol and polyvinyl alcohol to improve durability and flexibility.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

Customers are increasingly being lured by brands like TimberTech, which dispense with wood altogether in favor of polyvinyl chloride patterned to resemble mahogany, teak, or hickory.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

The bill would also phase out a list of “problematic and unnecessary” types of plastic and plastic additives, including polyvinyl chloride, a kind of plastic whose main ingredient is a human carcinogen.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2023

Vinyl chloride is a flammable gas used to make polyvinyl chloride plastic, better known as PVC.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2023

He was cast from a real person, then rendered in polyvinyl and an auto-body filler composite called Bondo.

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023