Which of the following best describes alicyclic compounds?

Alicyclic compounds are characterized by their structural features, which include the presence of carbon atoms arranged in rings. The term "alicyclic" comes from a combination of "aliphatic" and "cyclic," indicating that these compounds contain ring structures but are not aromatic.

The defining characteristic of alicyclic compounds is that they consist of carbon-containing rings that do not exhibit the delocalized π-electron system associated with aromatic compounds. This differentiates them from aromatic compounds, which are cyclic and planar but have specific resonance stability due to the arrangement of electrons.

The other options do not accurately describe alicyclic compounds. For instance, describing them as having a linear structure is incorrect, as alicyclic compounds are inherently cyclic. State about being only found in aliphatic chains is misleading, since they involve ring structures rather than extended chains. Lastly, while some alicyclic compounds can be saturated, the defining feature is not saturation but rather their ring structure without aromaticity. Thus, the correct description of alicyclic compounds is that they contain carbon rings but lack aromatic character.