phthalate

noun

phthal·ate | \ ˈtha-ˌlāt

How to pronounce phthalate (audio)

\

Definition of phthalate

: any of various salts or esters of phthalic acid used especially as plasticizers and in solvents

Examples of phthalate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web True to the brand’s clean beauty ethos, Megababe’s hand sanitizers are also made without skincare toxins like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. — Nina Huang, Health.com, "This Busy Philipps-Loved Skincare Brand Still Has Hand Sanitizer in Stock," 13 May 2020 All of Topanga’s—ahem Danielle’s—hair care products are free of controversial ingredients thought to harm your hair and the environment, such as sulfates, phosphates, sodium chloride, gluten, parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrances. — Kate Tully Ellsworth, USA TODAY, "Topanga from Boy Meets World has her own hair-care line—is it any good?," 12 May 2020 The fitted lid is plastic but contains no BPA or phthalates. — NBC News, "Best eco-friendly products to reduce plastic in the kitchen 2020," 6 May 2020 Stoiber recommends rugs with backings made of natural rubber and not PVC, a plastic that can off-gas and contain other harmful chemicals such as phthalates. — Washington Post, "5 ways to give your home a green reboot," 22 Jan. 2020 The Starburst-pink candle is hand-crafted in the U.S.A., made of 100 percent soy wax, and free of phthalates, all of which sound like pretty positive attributes. — Emma Bazilian, House Beautiful, "Finally, a Candle for People Who Feel "Personally Victimized" by Their Kids," 17 Jan. 2020 All of the mattress’s foam is CertiPUR-US Certified and does not contain phthalates, formaldehyde, and other harmful chemicals. — Popular Science, "Seven quality mattresses you can buy online," 21 Nov. 2019 Researchers sampled sanitary pads (as well as diapers) from around the world, and discovered varying amounts of phthalates and volatile organic compounds in every brand. — Popular Science, "Period underwear may contain troubling chemicals—but the real problem is much bigger," 15 Jan. 2020 Prose is revolutionizing haircare with custom, made-to-order formulas free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oils, and GMOs. — Olivia Fleming, Harper's BAZAAR, "Clean Hair Care Is Hard—But Not Impossible," 12 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phthalate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about phthalate

Dictionary Entries near phthalate

phthalamic acid

phthalanilic acid

phthalic anhydride

Statistics for phthalate

Cite this Entry

“Phthalate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phthalate. Accessed 12 May. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for phthalate

phthalate

noun

phthal·ate | \ ˈthal-ˌāt

\

Medical Definition of phthalate

: a salt or ester of phthalic acid

Comments on phthalate

What made you want to look up phthalate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

veracity

Listen to the pronunciation of veracity

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Star Wars Words Quiz

The bounty portion of bounty hunters (such as Boba Fett) comes from a Latin word meaning

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ