petrochemical

noun

pet·​ro·​chem·​i·​cal ˌpe-trō-ˈke-mi-kəl How to pronounce petrochemical (audio)
: a chemical isolated or derived from petroleum or natural gas
petrochemistry noun

Examples of petrochemical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Louisiana, a state with areas dense with fossil fuel and petrochemical plants and disproportionately high cancer rates, the agency budget went down by a quarter. Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025 When storms are on the horizon, petrochemical facilities release massive amounts of flammable and explosive fossil gases into surrounding communities. Cynthia Palmer, Time, 9 Dec. 2025 Around the same time—if not slightly earlier—Carbios teamed with Indorama Ventures, a Thai petrochemical company, to build its next facility in France; though this one would be some 400 miles southeast of its demo plant. Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 4 Dec. 2025 The number of people who’d have to be removed from power, say, at a petrochemical company to halt operations is, one imagines, multiple orders of magnitude higher. Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for petrochemical

Word History

Etymology

petro- + chemical entry 2

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petrochemical was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Petrochemical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrochemical. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

petrochemical

noun
pet·​ro·​chem·​i·​cal ˌpe-trō-ˈkem-i-kəl How to pronounce petrochemical (audio)
: a chemical obtained from petroleum or natural gas

More from Merriam-Webster on petrochemical

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