Meaning & use
aliphatic
Describing organic chemical compounds in which carbon atoms form open chains rather than rings.
See it in a sentence
Aliphatic compounds like methane and ethane contrast with ring-shaped aromatic compounds like benzene.
The lab synthesized a new aliphatic polymer for use in flexible packaging.
A note on using this word
Aliphatic is a chemistry term used to classify hydrocarbons by structure; it is rarely encountered outside science contexts.
Words with a similar meaning
This term is best learned through its definition and examples.
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
aromatic
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