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

Israel claimed responsibility for the strikes on the South Pars petrochemical complex in Asaluyeh, a key site for Iran's energy sector, both for production of petroleum by-products and for joint work with Qatar on the world's largest natural gas field. —Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

And in recent years, the United States has exported more petroleum than it’s imported. —Kristen Monsell, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026

The attack damaged a pipeline, loading and unloading berths, and set fire to four tanks holding petroleum products. —Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026

The era of oil drilling began not long after James Young, a Scottish chemist, collected a sample of petroleum near an English coal mine in the mid-nineteenth century. —Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "mineral oil," borrowed from Medieval Latin, "mineral oil, crude oil," from Latin petra "rock" (borrowed from Greek pétra) + oleum "oil" — more at petro-, oil entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing petroleum

• liquefied petroleum gas
• petroleum jelly

Rhymes for petroleum

• folium
• lolium
• oleum
• scholium
• linoleum
• trifolium
• tetrazolium

Kids 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