acrylic
adj.adj. made of a strong, clear plastic. You use this word to describe materials like paint, fabric, or jewelry.
adj. relating to or made of a synthetic polymer resin, often transparent and durable. Commonly used attributively before nouns such as 'paint', 'fabric', or 'glass'.
She bought a bright acrylic jacket.
The artist mixed acrylic paint with water to create a soft, watercolor-like effect on the canvas.
Modern fashion often utilizes lightweight acrylic fibers to mimic the texture and drape of natural wool without the associated maintenance costs.
From acryl + -ic, from acrolein, from Latin acer (“sharp”) + olere (“to smell”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Typically used attributively before a noun; rarely used predicatively.
Last updated May 29, 2026