Standard Lemma guide

plasticizer

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈplæs.tɪ.saɪ.zə/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P L AE1 S T AH0 S AY2 Z ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various substances added to a material (such as plastic or concrete) in order to make it more pliable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a substance added to plastics or other materials to make them more pliable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plasticiser

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: softener

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Hellenic *pláthyō Proto-Hellenic *pláťťō? Ancient Greek πλάσσω (plássō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek πλᾰστῐκός (plăstĭkós)der. Latin plasticusder. English plastic Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English plasticize Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English plasticizer From plasticize + -er.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 塑化劑 /塑化剂 (sùhuàjì) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Chinese Mandarin: 增塑劑 /增塑剂 (zēngsùjì) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Chinese Mandarin: 可塑劑 /可塑剂 (kěsùjì) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Dutch: weekmaker — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Finnish: pehmitin — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Georgian: პლასტიფიკატორი (ṗlasṭipiḳaṭori) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Georgian: დამარბილებელი (damarbilebeli) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • German: Weichmacher — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Hungarian: lágyító — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Hungarian: lágyítószer — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Icelandic: mýkiefni — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Irish: plaisteachán — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Japanese: 可塑剤 (kasose) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Korean: 가소제 (gasoje) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Polish: plastifikator — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Polish: zmiękczacz — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Portuguese: plastificante — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Russian: пластифика́тор (plastifikátor) — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Spanish: plastificador — substance added for pliability in plastics
  • Turkish: akışkanlaştırıcı — substance added for pliability in plastics