vanillin
noun
van·il·lin
ˈva-nə-lən 
: a crystalline phenolic aldehyde C8H8O3 that is extracted from vanilla beans or prepared synthetically and is used especially in flavoring and in perfumery
Examples of vanillin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The same strategy worked 100% of the time when researchers asked the AI to tell them how to synthesize vanillin, the organic compound that provides vanilla’s scent, before asking how to synthesize lidocaine.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
And since each bean yields only 2 percent vanillin at best, the cost of pure vanilla is even higher.
—Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023
However, curcumin from the health food store might also be synthesized directly from vanillin, which, in turn, is derived from wood pulp or from crude oil.
—Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 5 Dec. 2022
The blue-green background of this image is formed by a layer of sulfamic acid crystals, and the starbursts on top are crystallized synthetic vanillin, an artificial vanilla flavoring.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 23 Mar. 2022
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Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
And since each bean yields only 2 percent vanillin at best, the cost of pure vanilla is even higher.
—Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023
However, curcumin from the health food store might also be synthesized directly from vanillin, which, in turn, is derived from wood pulp or from crude oil.
—Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 5 Dec. 2022
The blue-green background of this image is formed by a layer of sulfamic acid crystals, and the starbursts on top are crystallized synthetic vanillin, an artificial vanilla flavoring.
—Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 23 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for vanillin
Cite this Entry
“Vanillin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanillin. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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vanillin
noun
van·il·lin
ˈvan-ᵊl-ən
: a crystalline phenolic aldehyde C8H8O3 that is prepared synthetically or is obtained as the chief fragrant component of vanilla extracted from vanilla beans and that is used especially in flavoring and in perfumery
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