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

Muhammad Zaghum Riaz, vice president at Engro Fertilizers, part of Pakistan’s Engro Group, said in a world where strategic assets such as petrochemical and fertilizer plants aim for full autonomy, the right kind of data gathering and analytics are mission critical. —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026

The effort will discontinue or combine several petrochemical derivatives tied to polyethylene, acrylonitrile and polycarbonate diol, according to Asahi Kasei. —Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 14 May 2026

Toyota warns of a shortage in 0W-8 and 0W-16 oils due to petrochemical supply issues. —Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 May 2026

The region’s supplies of naphtha and LPG, both used for petrochemicals, have been particularly hit, according to Goldman Sachs. —Grant Smith, Fortune, 9 May 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