What does olefine mean?
An olefin is an organic compound containing at least one carbon–carbon double bond. These compounds form an important part of the unsaturated hydrocarbons known as alkenes, with ethene, commonly called ethylene, being the simplest example. Olefins are central to petrochemical production and are commonly obtained by cracking larger hydrocarbons. They serve as feedstocks for plastics, synthetic fibres, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and many other manufactured products, and they also participate in reactions such as polymerization and metathesis. Chemists often use the term olefin in technical and industrial contexts, while alkene is frequently preferred in contemporary academic usage, especially in North America. The word is also historically memorable because it was formed from olefiant, an older name associated with ethylene.
nounAn organic compound containing at least one carbon–carbon double bond, especially one in the alkene series. The term is used in chemistry and the petrochemical industry, where alkene is often preferred in modern American usage.
- An organic compound belonging to the unsaturated hydrocarbon series and containing one or more carbon–carbon double bonds.
"The olefin was extracted from the cracked petroleum and fed into the polymerization reactor."
"Ethene is the simplest olefin, consisting of two carbon atoms joined by a double bond."
"The plant uses a selective catalyst to convert an olefin into a higher-value chemical product."
The plural is formed by adding -s and is standard in both general and technical writing.
"These olefins are widely used as starting materials in polymer production."
The name olefin preserves an older piece of chemical history: it comes from “olefiant gas,” the name once used for ethylene.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does olefine come from?
Olefin was coined in the 19th century from the older term olefiant, with the chemical suffix -ine. Olefiant gas was an early name for ethylene, the simplest compound containing a carbon–carbon double bond. The related names ethylene and ethene arose through the modern unsaturated-hydrocarbon naming system.
Related word forms
How olefine is actually used
Olefin is established in British and international technical English and remains common in North American petrochemical terminology, although alkene is often preferred in modern American chemistry writing.
Easily confused with olefine
An alkene is a hydrocarbon with one carbon–carbon double bond, while an olefin may refer more broadly to the wider family of unsaturated hydrocarbons containing such bonds.