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
Most of them run on some of the dirtiest fuel in the world, the leftover gunk after all the other useful parts are siphoned off to make gasoline and other more valuable petroleum products.
—
Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Compostable plastics Plastic is made of petroleum.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said conditions across the country are pushing prices lower.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Dec. 2025
With that problem and bitumen's eco-unfriendly petroleum content in mind, a team led by Arizona State University's Assoc.
—New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petroleum
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Compostable plastics Plastic is made of petroleum.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said conditions across the country are pushing prices lower.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Dec. 2025
With that problem and bitumen's eco-unfriendly petroleum content in mind, a team led by Arizona State University's Assoc.
—New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petroleum
Cite this Entry
“Petroleum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petroleum. Accessed 2 Jan. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share