petrochemical

1 of 2

noun (1)

pet·​ro·​chem·​i·​cal ˌpe-trō-ˈke-mi-kəl How to pronounce petrochemical (audio)
: a chemical isolated or derived from petroleum or natural gas
petrochemistry
ˌpe-trō-ˈke-mə-strē How to pronounce petrochemical (audio)
noun

petrochemistry

2 of 2

noun (2)

pe·​tro·​chemistry "+ How to pronounce petrochemistry (audio)
1
: the chemistry of rocks
2
: the chemistry of petroleum
especially : a branch of chemistry dealing with the production of petrochemicals

Examples of petrochemical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Located in Russia’s Amur region close to the Chinese border, some 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) east of Moscow, the Amur Gas Chemical Complex is a joint venture between China’s state oil and gas firm Sinopec and Russian petrochemical company Sibur. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 Nurdles are manufactured by petrochemical plants specifically for the purpose of making new products. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 Chandra Asri is part of Barito Pacific, a timber company that Pangestu transformed into an energy and petrochemicals giant. — Yessar Rosendar, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Iran is demanding a 5% or 7% service fee per barrel of oil that would generate close to $20 billion annually, and that’s not even counting fees on other cargoes, such as natural gas, petrochemicals, helium, fertilizer, and container cargoes. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for petrochemical

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

petro- + chemical entry 2

Noun (2)

petr- + chemistry

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petrochemical was in 1942

Rhymes for petrochemical

See All Rhymes for petrochemical

Browse Nearby Words

Petrochelidon
petrochemical
petrochemistry
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Petrochemical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrochemical. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

petrochemical

noun
pet·​ro·​chem·​i·​cal ˌpe-trō-ˈkem-i-kəl How to pronounce petrochemical (audio)
: a chemical obtained from petroleum or natural gas

More from Merriam-Webster on petrochemical

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about petrochemical

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