vanillin

noun

van·​il·​lin ˈva-nə-lən 

: a crystalline phenolic aldehyde C₈H₈O₃ that is extracted from vanilla beans or prepared synthetically and is used especially in flavoring and in perfumery

Examples of vanillin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The vanillin molecule pulled from a bean and the vanillin molecule built in a lab are, chemically speaking, the same thing. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026

That's from a paper out of South Australia's Flinders University, which reviewed several studies conducted over the last 20 years that investigated vanillin's role in wound healing, and topical drug delivery systems. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026

Its ingredients include sugar, peanuts, palm oil, peanut flour, cocoa, hazelnuts, lecithin as an emulsifier, salt, and vanillin. — Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 7 Apr. 2026

In high-heat applications like baked cookies, cake, or dessert bars, the flavor compounds of real vanilla can break down, leaving mostly vanillin as the main flavoring in the final products. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French vanilline, from vanille vanilla entry 1 + -ine -in entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1868, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vanillin

• amoxicillin
• carbenicillin
• ampicillin
• methicillin
• penicillin
• pyroxylin
• millon
• villain

Medical Definition

vanillin

noun

van·​il·​lin ˈvan-ᵊl-ən 

: a crystalline phenolic aldehyde C₈H₈O₃ that is prepared synthetically or is obtained as the chief fragrant component of vanilla extracted from vanilla beans and that is used especially in flavoring and in perfumery