aliphatic
adjective
al·i·phat·ic
ˌa-lə-ˈfa-tik 
: of, relating to, or being an organic compound (such as an alkane) having an open-chain structure compare alicyclic, aromatic sense 2
Examples of aliphatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Garlic contains aliphatic sulfites, like an onion does.
—
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2022
Some of them are organic — aliphatic and aromatic compounds, carboxylic acids, alcohols.
—Sarah Scoles, Discover Magazine, 22 Jan. 2015
Hide glue creates joints weaker than wood, which may seem like a disadvantage compared with the stronger-than-wood joints made with yellow, or aliphatic, glue, which is more common in woodworking shops these days.
—Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2020
On earth, propane and butane are examples of aliphatic carbon compounds.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 28 June 2018
One is a bond that resembles a mothball, called aromatic carbon, while the other resembles grease and is called aliphatic.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 28 June 2018
The result of this careful analysis is that scientists have conclusively found thiophenic, aromatic, and aliphatic organic compounds on Mars.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 7 June 2018
The signature Dawn spotted appears to be one of aliphatic organic matter—
—Erin Blakemore, Smithsonian, 17 Feb. 2017
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2022
Some of them are organic — aliphatic and aromatic compounds, carboxylic acids, alcohols.
—Sarah Scoles, Discover Magazine, 22 Jan. 2015
Hide glue creates joints weaker than wood, which may seem like a disadvantage compared with the stronger-than-wood joints made with yellow, or aliphatic, glue, which is more common in woodworking shops these days.
—Washington Post, 21 Dec. 2020
On earth, propane and butane are examples of aliphatic carbon compounds.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 28 June 2018
One is a bond that resembles a mothball, called aromatic carbon, while the other resembles grease and is called aliphatic.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 28 June 2018
The result of this careful analysis is that scientists have conclusively found thiophenic, aromatic, and aliphatic organic compounds on Mars.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 7 June 2018
The signature Dawn spotted appears to be one of aliphatic organic matter—
—Erin Blakemore, Smithsonian, 17 Feb. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aliphatic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near aliphatic
Cite this Entry
“Aliphatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aliphatic. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
aliphatic
adjective
al·i·phat·ic
ˌal-ə-ˈfat-ik
: of, relating to, or being an organic compound (as an alkane or alkene) having an open-chain structure compare alicyclic, aromatic entry 1 sense 2
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