polyvinyl alcohol
noun
variants
or less commonly polyvinylalcohol
: a colorless synthetic polymer that has the chemical structure H(CH2CHOH)nH and that is used especially in adhesives, films, and fibers, and in biomedical applications especially as hydrogels
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer and has been used extensively in various fields.—
Leela Gautam et al.
Leela Gautam et al.Today, instead of starch or gelatin, we often use a synthetic material, polyvinyl alcohol, which can be dissolved in water to make "white glue," a current household favorite.—Joe Schwarcz
Joe Schwarczcalled also PVA
Examples of polyvinyl alcohol in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Powder detergents may increase friction during washing, while many pods and detergent sheets contain polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a dissolvable plastic that may not fully break down in wastewater systems.
—
Ryan Brennan
may 11,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 May 2026
The thin wrapping portion of the pod, which contains the liquid detergent, is made from PVA, a dissolvable form of plastic also known as polyvinyl alcohol.
—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Nov. 2025
The pods—used for laundry as well—are wrapped in a type of plastic called polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA.
—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
Later, the same team experimented with making lunar bricks through sintering, which involved heating a compact mix of regolith simulant with polyvinyl alcohol, which is a soluble polymer, to extremely high temperatures in a furnace.
—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Graduate students in Allen’s group are now engineering sensors and even batteries from polymers such as poly(lactic co-glycolic) acid (PLGA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polycaprolactone (PCL), the same materials used in dissolvable surgical sutures.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
27 Nov. 2018
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Ryan Brennan
may 11,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 May 2026
The thin wrapping portion of the pod, which contains the liquid detergent, is made from PVA, a dissolvable form of plastic also known as polyvinyl alcohol.
—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Nov. 2025
The pods—used for laundry as well—are wrapped in a type of plastic called polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA.
—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
29 Sep. 2025
Later, the same team experimented with making lunar bricks through sintering, which involved heating a compact mix of regolith simulant with polyvinyl alcohol, which is a soluble polymer, to extremely high temperatures in a furnace.
—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Graduate students in Allen’s group are now engineering sensors and even batteries from polymers such as poly(lactic co-glycolic) acid (PLGA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polycaprolactone (PCL), the same materials used in dissolvable surgical sutures.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
27 Nov. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Polyvinyl alcohol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polyvinyl%20alcohol. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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