petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm 
-ˈtrōl-yəm
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
Examples of petroleum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jet fuel and diesel belong to the same group of refined petroleum products, known as middle distillates .
—
Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
5 July 2026
By waiving the legislation, foreign vessels could facilitate the transport of petroleum and fertilizer throughout the country’s ports, thus reducing potential supply disruptions that could further hike fuel prices.
—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
2 July 2026
Rwanda imports all its petroleum products overland through two ports, one in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and the other in Mombasa, Kenya.
—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Naphtha is a highly flammable petroleum product used in the production of fuels and other chemicals.
—
ABC News,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for petroleum
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Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
5 July 2026
By waiving the legislation, foreign vessels could facilitate the transport of petroleum and fertilizer throughout the country’s ports, thus reducing potential supply disruptions that could further hike fuel prices.
—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
2 July 2026
Rwanda imports all its petroleum products overland through two ports, one in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and the other in Mombasa, Kenya.
—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Naphtha is a highly flammable petroleum product used in the production of fuels and other chemicals.
—
ABC News,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for petroleum
Cite this Entry
“Petroleum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petroleum. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm
-ˈtrōl-yəm
: an oily flammable liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, is obtained from wells drilled in the ground, and is the source of gasoline, kerosene, fuel oils, and other products
Medical Definition
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm, -ˈtrōl-yəm
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
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