petrochemical

noun

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

Examples of petrochemical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow, precarious waterway between Iran and the Musandam Peninsula through which flows roughly 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas, fertilizer for agriculture, helium for semiconductors, and petrochemicals that go into almost everything. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026

All of those petrochemicals are almost solely dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for shipping their product. —Kevin Williams, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026

Other countries are much more dependent on petrochemical imports. —Frank Morris, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026

The conflict is imperiling the supply chain for petrochemicals, which are derived from fossil fuels and serve as the building blocks for plastics, an expert told Bloomberg’s Odd Lots podcast. —J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

petro- + chemical entry 2

First Known Use

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