heterocyclic

H4E1T1E1R1O1C3Y4C3L1I1C3

adjective

Having atoms of two or more different elements in at least one of its rings.

Similar
heterocyclicalcarboheterocycliccyclicheterocyclic compoundheterocycle
OriginEnglish cyclic ← Classical Latin cyclicus ← French cyclique →
UncommonScrabble 24
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjectiveheterocyclic (not comparable)
  1. not comparablechemistryHaving atoms of two or more different elements in at least one of its rings.
  2. not comparablechemistryHaving one or more atoms other than carbon in at least one of its rings.

    Other highly effective heterocyclic substituents were pyrazinyl and quinoxalyl.

    1951, Apollonia Frances Olson, Helen G. Tibbitts, A Study of Head Nurse Activities in a General Hospital, 1950, page 163
nounheterocyclic (plural heterocyclics)

plural heterocyclics

  1. chemistryA heterocycle

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
heterocyclicalcarboheterocyclic

adjectivecontaining a closed ring of atoms of which at least one is not a carbon atom

Similar
cyclic

nouna compound containing a heterocyclic ring

Similar
heterocyclic compoundheterocycle
Broader
compoundchemical compound
Also see
carboheterocycliccyclicheterocycleheterocyclical

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sḿ̥teros
  3. Proto-Hellenic*hə́teros
  4. Ancient Greekἕτερος (héteros)
  5. Englishhetero-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*kʷelh₁-redup.
  7. Proto-Indo-European*kʷékʷlos
  8. Proto-Hellenic*kʷókʷlos
  9. Proto-Hellenic*kúklos
  10. Ancient Greekκύκλος (kúklos)
  11. Ancient Greekκυκλῐκός (kuklĭkós)
  12. Classical Latincyclicu
  13. Middle Frenchcyclique
  14. Frenchcyclique
  15. Classical Latincyclicus
  16. Englishcyclic
  17. Englishheterocyclic

From hetero- + cyclic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan heterocíclic
  • heterocíclicof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Chinese Mandarin 雜環的 /杂环的
  • 雜環的 /杂环的 (záhuánde)of cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Czech heterocyklický
  • heterocyklickýof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
German heterozyklisch
  • heterozyklischof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Irish heitreafháinneach
  • heitreafháinneachof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Italian eterociclico
  • eterociclicoof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Japanese 複素環式
  • 複素環式 (fukusokanshiki)of cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Korean 이종환식
  • 이종환식 (ijonghwansik)of cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Portuguese heterocíclico
  • heterocíclicoof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Spanish heterocíclico
  • heterocíclicoof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Tagalog damsalkupin
  • damsalkupinof cyclic compounds: containing one or more atoms other than carbon
Cite this entry
APA

heterocyclic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterocyclic

MLA

“heterocyclic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterocyclic. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heterocyclic,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heterocyclic.

Source: heterocyclic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.