Solvent | Definition, Examples, & Facts - Encyclopedia Britannica

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External Websites

• ChemicalSafetyFacts.org - Solvent
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - SOLVENTS: From Past to Present
• Indian Academy of Sciences - The role of solvents in chemical reactions (PDF)
• The Royal Society Publishing - Proceedings A - Solvents and sustainable chemistry
• Chemistry LibreTexts - Alternative Solvents
• ACS Publications - SOLVENTS: From Past to Present (PDF)

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• solvent - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

solvent chemistry Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 6, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

solvent, substance, ordinarily a liquid, in which other materials dissolve to form a solution. Polar solvents (e.g., water) favour formation of ions; nonpolar ones (e.g., hydrocarbons) do not. Solvents may be predominantly acidic, predominantly basic, amphoteric (both), or aprotic (neither). Organic compounds used as solvents include aromatic compounds and other hydrocarbons, alcohols, esters, ethers, ketones, amines, and nitrated and halogenated hydrocarbons. Their chief uses are as media for chemical syntheses, as industrial cleaners, in extractive processes, in pharmaceuticals, in inks, and in paints, varnishes, and lacquers.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.