Although　the　management　and　control　of　Volatile　Organic　Compounds　(VOCs)　pollution　has　become　a　focus　in　the　field　of　atmospheric　environment　in　China,　there　is　no　official　definition　of　VOCs　in　China　yet.　The　United　States　(US)　was　the　first　country　to　introduce　legislation　to　control　VOCs.　In　this　paper,　the　historical　literatures　and　cases　on　the　control　of　VOCs　in　the　US　were　reviewed　and　the　3-stage　evolution　of　the　VOCs　definition　in　the　US　was　identified:　the　pre-VOCs　stage,　the　volatility-based　stage　and　the　reactivity-based　stage.　Furthermore,　this　paper　systematically　analyzes　the　evolution　of　the　VOCs　definition　and　classification　with　respect　to　the　scientific　understanding　of　air　pollution　and　VOCs　reactivity,　the　VOCs　control　policy,　and　the　definition　and　connotation　of　VOCs　covering　the　3　stages　above.　The　findings　revealed　that　the　evolution　of　the　VOCs　definition　at　different　stages　related　closely　to　the　scientific　understanding　of　air　pollution　and　VOCs　reactivity,　as　well　as　the　VOCs　control　policy　at　the　corresponding　stages.　The　scientific　understanding　of　air　pollution　and　VOCs　reactivity　is　the　theoretical　basis　of　control　policy,　while　the　definitions　of　VOCs　reflect　the　control　policies　accordingly.　With　the　most　concentrated　and　in-depth　study　on　the　reactivity　of　VOCs　in　the　US　came　the　reactivity-based　definition　of　VOCs　as　the　3rd　stage　and　thus　the　transformation　trend　of　the　VOCs　definition　was　predicted　in　this　paper.　Finally,　combined　with　the　existing　management　and　control　of　VOCs　in　China,　the　reactivity-based　definition　of　VOCs　was　proposed　for　the　China　national　environment　management.　The　exemption　policy-based　definition　of　VOCs　in　the　US　was　also　proposed　for　use　and　revision:　use　ethane　as　the　reference　compound;　abandon　the　use　of　KOH　(the　reaction　rate　constant　with　the　hydroxyl　radical);　employ　the　use　of　MIR　(Maximum　Incremental　Reactivity)　as　the　benchmark　index　for　exemption;　develop　and　issue　China＇s　substance　exemption　list　by　studying　and　revising　the　current　list　in　the　US.　By　using　a　national　uniform　reactivity-based　definition　of　VOCs,　the　management　and　control　policy　based　on　VOCs　reactivity　and　monitoring　methodology　from　stationary　sources　will　be　further　developed,　representation　of　VOCs　will　be　consolidated　and　formalized,　and　VOCs　emission　inventory　and　control　technology　database　will　be　developed　and　improved.　Consequently,　a　national　management　and　control　system　based　on　VOCs　reactivity　will　be　constructed　and　gradually　optimized　in　China.　©　2017,　Editorial　Board,　Research　of　Environmental　Sciences.　All　right　reserved.