# acetic

/əˈsɛtɪk/ (US) · /ɐsˈiːtɪk/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/acetic
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Definition

having to do with vinegar or the sour acid that makes vinegar sharp. The word appears mostly in the phrase acetic acid.

For teachers: relating to vinegar or to acetic acid, the colourless organic acid responsible for vinegar's sour taste and pungent smell. Typically encountered in chemistry and food science in the collocation 'acetic acid'.

## Examples

- Vinegar gets its sharp taste from acetic acid.
- The label shows the vinegar contains five percent acetic acid for cooking.
- The chemist measures the acetic strength of the solution to check if fermentation produced enough acid.

## Usage notes

- Typically used attributively before a noun, almost always in the phrase 'acetic acid'.

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