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
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
Inspired by other easy-to-peel-off beauty products, Olive & June found the answer in the form of two ingredients that are frequently used elsewhere in the beauty world: glycerin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).
—Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 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
It is made from a gel-like substance called polyvinyl alcohol cryogel, which can be adjusted to have similar softness and electrical conductivity to real biological tissues.
—Krittika Goyal, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
Ingredients Common ingredients in laundry detergent sheets, such as those on our list, include water, sodium lauryl sulfate, and polyvinyl alcohol.
—Casey Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2024
Health Synthetic cartilage is now stronger than the real stuff
The synthetic cartilage was made from cellulose fibers — the stuff found in wood — mixed with a goo called polyvinyl alcohol.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Hu and colleagues have also used polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA—a polymer used in glue and food packaging—to infiltrate the wood skeletons, making transparent wood that conducts heat at a rate five times lower than that of glass, the team reported in 2019 in Advanced Functional Materials.
—Jude Coleman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matt Fuchs, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Inspired by other easy-to-peel-off beauty products, Olive & June found the answer in the form of two ingredients that are frequently used elsewhere in the beauty world: glycerin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).
—Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 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
It is made from a gel-like substance called polyvinyl alcohol cryogel, which can be adjusted to have similar softness and electrical conductivity to real biological tissues.
—Krittika Goyal, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
Ingredients Common ingredients in laundry detergent sheets, such as those on our list, include water, sodium lauryl sulfate, and polyvinyl alcohol.
—Casey Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2024
Health Synthetic cartilage is now stronger than the real stuff
The synthetic cartilage was made from cellulose fibers — the stuff found in wood — mixed with a goo called polyvinyl alcohol.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Hu and colleagues have also used polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA—a polymer used in glue and food packaging—to infiltrate the wood skeletons, making transparent wood that conducts heat at a rate five times lower than that of glass, the team reported in 2019 in Advanced Functional Materials.
—Jude Coleman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023
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 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share