petrochemical

1 of 2

noun (1)

pet·​ro·​chem·​i·​cal ˌpe-trō-ˈke-mi-kəl 

: a chemical isolated or derived from petroleum or natural gas

petrochemistry

ˌpe-trō-ˈke-mə-strē 

noun

petrochemistry

2 of 2

noun (2)

pe·​tro·​chemistry "+ 

1

: the chemistry of rocks

2

: the chemistry of petroleum

especially : a branch of chemistry dealing with the production of petrochemicals

Examples of petrochemical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Highlighting the fact many industries remain dependent on oil and gas, including petrochemicals, fertilizers, and food production, Al-Rumayyan added that growing demand from AI technologies will further increase global energy needs. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Israel then hit a petrochemical plant in southwest Iran, prompting another wave of Iranian missile launches. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 14 June 2026

Profits at Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Gas fell 15% as the war cut its sales volumes, and Industries Qatar saw a drop of nearly 26% as the conflict disrupted its petrochemicals operations and shipments. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 10 June 2026

Other industries, including those involved in producing food and medicine, relied on petrochemicals to produce crucial components, such as plastic pipes, an engineering expert told me. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

petro- + chemical entry 2

Noun (2)

petr- + chemistry

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1942, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for petrochemical

• academical
• agrochemical
• biochemical
• cytochemical
• geochemical
• histochemical
• microchemical
• neurochemical
• photochemical
• phytochemical
• spectrochemical
• thermochemical

Kids Definition

petrochemical

noun

pet·​ro·​chem·​i·​cal ˌpe-trō-ˈkem-i-kəl 

: a chemical obtained from petroleum or natural gas