Water-based adhesives are made up of materials or compounds that can be dissolved or dispersed in water. These adhesives generally develop a bond by losing water through evaporation or penetration into the substrates. At least one substrate must be absorbent or porous in order to form a strong bond.

Water-based adhesives come in a variety of chemistries and compositions, and can be categorized as either natural or synthetic polymers. Following is a breakdown of water-based adhesives by composition: