1. a white crystalline compound derived from aniline and acetic acid, formerly used as a pain reliever and fever reducer but now largely replaced by safer alternatives
Usage: chemistry; pharmaceutical history; also called phenylacetamide

Examples

• Acetanilid was one of the earliest synthetic pain relievers developed in the 19th century.
• The chemist synthesized acetanilid in the laboratory using standard organic chemistry procedures.
• Acetanilid has largely been replaced by acetaminophen in modern medicine.
• The structure of acetanilid consists of an acetyl group attached to an aniline molecule.
• Historically, acetanilid was marketed under the brand name Antifebrin.