Meanings
plural benzenes · alternative benzine
- uncountableusuallychemistryAn aromatic hydrocarbon of formula C₆H₆ whose structure consists of a ring of alternate single and double bonds.
The recall notice, published earlier this week, noted that the affected products likely will not expose people to levels of benzene high enough to cause health issues.
2021 November 26, Jackie Wattles, “Some Old Spice and Secret deodorants recalled after cancer-causing chemical is detected”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 12 Feb 20221 more example
Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.
2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance]”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 25 Aug 2013 - in compoundsuncountableusuallychemistrySometimes used in place of the phenyl group.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna colorless liquid hydrocarbon; highly flammable; carcinogenic; the simplest of the aromatic compounds
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- GermanBenzoe
- GermanBenzin
- Englishbenzine
- Englishbenzene
A technical term in chemistry, adopted in English in 1835 as benzine (benzene from 1872), from German Benzin, which was coined in 1833 by Eilhardt Mitscherlich based on Benzoesäure (“benzoic acid”), plus the technical ending -ene (German -in) denoting hydrocarbons. The adjective benzoic is in turn from benzoin, originally a term for a balsamic resin from Middle French benjoin, from Spanish benjuí, Portuguese beijoim, Italian benzoe, probably, from Arabic لُبَان جَاوِيّ (lubān jāwiyy, “Javanese frankincense”). Not related to German Benz (surname).
More words from German, Middle French, Spanish
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic بَنْزِين
- بَنْزِين (banzīn)aromatic compound C6H6
Bulgarian бензо́л
- бензо́л (benzól)aromatic compound C6H6
Catalan benzè
- benzèaromatic compound C6H6
Chinese Cantonese 苯
- 苯 (bun²)aromatic compound C6H6
Chinese Mandarin 苯
- 苯 (běn)aromatic compound C6H6
Czech benzen
- benzenaromatic compound C6H6
Danish benzen
- benzenaromatic compound C6H6
Dutch benzeen
- benzeenaromatic compound C6H6
Esperanto benzeno
- benzenoaromatic compound C6H6
Finnish bentseeni
- bentseeniaromatic compound C6H6
French benzène
- benzènearomatic compound C6H6
German Benzol
- Benzolaromatic compound C6H6
Greek βενζόλιο, βενζόλη
- βενζόλιο (venzólio)aromatic compound C6H6
- βενζόλη (venzóli)aromatic compound C6H6
Hindi धूपेन्य
- धूपेन्य (dhūpenya)aromatic compound C6H6
Hungarian benzol
- benzolaromatic compound C6H6
Icelandic bensen, bensól
- bensenaromatic compound C6H6
- bensólaromatic compound C6H6
Indonesian benzena
- benzenaaromatic compound C6H6
Irish beinséin
- beinséinaromatic compound C6H6
Italian benzene, benzolo
- benzenearomatic compound C6H6
- benzoloaromatic compound C6H6
Japanese ベンゼン, ベンゾール
- ベンゼン (benzen)aromatic compound C6H6
- ベンゾール (benzōru)aromatic compound C6H6
Korean 벤젠, 벤졸
- 벤젠 (benjen)aromatic compound C6H6
- 벤졸 (benjol)aromatic compound C6H6
Latvian benzols
- benzolsaromatic compound C6H6
Lithuanian benzènas
- benzènasaromatic compound C6H6
Malay benzena
- benzenaaromatic compound C6H6
Norwegian Bokmål benzen
- benzenaromatic compound C6H6
Persian بنزین
- بنزین (benzin)aromatic compound C6H6
Polish benzen
- benzenaromatic compound C6H6
Portuguese benzeno
- benzenoaromatic compound C6H6
Romanian benzen
- benzenaromatic compound C6H6
Russian бензо́л
- бензо́л (benzól)aromatic compound C6H6
Slovak benzén
- benzénaromatic compound C6H6
Spanish benceno
- bencenoaromatic compound C6H6
Swahili benzini
- benziniaromatic compound C6H6
Swedish bensen
- bensenaromatic compound C6H6
Tamil பென்சீன்
- பென்சீன் (peṉcīṉ)aromatic compound C6H6
Turkish benzen
- benzenaromatic compound C6H6
Ukrainian бензе́н, бензо́л
- бензе́н (benzén)aromatic compound C6H6
- бензо́л (benzól)aromatic compound C6H6
Urdu بنزین
- بنزین (benzīn)aromatic compound C6H6
Vietnamese benzen
- benzenaromatic compound C6H6
Yiddish בענזין, בענזאָל
- בענזין (benzin)aromatic compound C6H6
- בענזאָל (benzol)aromatic compound C6H6
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with benzene
All rhymes →Cite this entry
benzene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benzene
“benzene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benzene. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “benzene,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/benzene.
Source: benzene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.