natural gas

noun

1

: gas issuing from the earth's crust through natural openings or bored wells

especially : a combustible mixture of methane and other hydrocarbons used chiefly as a fuel and raw material

2

: gas manufactured from organic matter (such as coal)

Examples of natural gas in a Sentence

a house heated by natural gas

Recent Examples on the Web

The Department of Energy has frozen permits for liquified natural gas, issued strict rules on tailpipe emissions, and Biden’s signature legislation — the Inflation Education Act — is slated to create more than 271,000 new clean energy jobs. —William Gavin, Quartz, 13 May 2024

And even with the pause in new permits for gas export terminals, the United States is the world’s leading exporter of natural gas and is still on track to nearly double its export capacity by 2027 because of projects already permitted and under construction. —Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 9 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

natural gas

noun

: gas that comes from the earth's crust through natural openings or bored wells

especially : a flammable mixture of hydrocarbons and especially methane used chiefly as a fuel and raw material