phenyl

P3H4E1N1Y4L1
UK/ˈfiː.naɪl/UK/ˈfɛn.l̩/US/ˈfi.nl̩/South Asia/pʰɪˈnajl/

noun

A univalent hydrocarbon radical, C₆H₅ (benzene minus one hydrogen atom), and the basis of an immense number of aromatic derivatives.

OriginFrench phényle ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? →
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounphenyl (plural phenyls)

plural phenyls

  1. chemistryA univalent hydrocarbon radical, C₆H₅ (benzene minus one hydrogen atom), and the basis of an immense number of aromatic derivatives.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  4. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  5. Frenchphéno-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  7. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  8. Frenchphényle
  9. Englishphenyl

Borrowed from French phényle, derived from the root of Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō, “to shine”) plus ὕλη (húlē, “wood; material, substance”). Equivalent to phen- + -yl.

More words from French, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian фенил
  • фенил (fenil)univalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Catalan fenil
  • fenilunivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Chinese Cantonese 苯基
  • 苯基 (bun² gei¹)univalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Chinese Mandarin 苯基
  • 苯基 (běnjī)univalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Czech fenyl
  • fenylunivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Finnish fenyyli, fenyyliryhmä
  • fenyyliunivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
  • fenyyliryhmäunivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Italian fenile
  • fenileunivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Japanese フェニル基
  • フェニル基 (feniru-ki)univalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Korean 페닐기
  • 페닐기 (penilgi)univalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Polish fenyl
  • fenylunivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Spanish fenilo
  • fenilounivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)
Swedish fenyl
  • fenylunivalent hydrocarbon radical (C6H5)

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with phenyl

renalkennelpenaladrenalpenilefennelvenalantennalcrenelterrenaltreenail
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

phenyl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenyl

MLA

“phenyl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenyl. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phenyl,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenyl.

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