Classification of Alcohols

Alcohols are organic compounds that have one or more hydroxy (-OH) groups bonded to the carbon atoms in aliphatic compounds.

Alcohols are classified as primary (1º), secondary (2º) or tertiary (3º) depending upon whether the number of alkyl groups bonded to the carbon atom bearing the hydroxy group is one, two or three, respectively.

According to the IUPAC system of nomenclature, alcohols are called alkanols. They are named as the derivatives of the corresponding alkane in which the -e of the alkane is replaced by -ol.