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

Many new hydrogen systems are smaller and more distributed than traditional refinery or petrochemical assets. — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Rather than relying on traditional petrochemical dyes, the company uses biopolymers and iron oxide to create what Berlan describes as a hybrid molecule. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026

Coupled with a boost to North American petrochemical profit margins from the Iran war and resulting high oil prices, Dow posted its most profitable quarter last week in four years, reporting a net income of $802 million and a 20% jump in net sales. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 30 July 2026

To push back, Julien Pouille, who leads the climate and health strategic team and is lead author of the report, argues that lessening reliance on petrochemical products would help mitigate rising medicine costs and improve the climate. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 30 July 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