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
In recent years, large European insurers, including Allianz and Munich Re, have committed to restricting petroleum investments and their underwriting of extraction projects.
—
Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
That’s right—gasoline and other petroleum products have a shelf life.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
As a student at the Colorado School of Mines, Sam Seeton juggled his role as running back for the school’s football team with his pursuit of a petroleum engineering degree, all while managing hunting and fishing access to his family’s ranch outside Buena Vista.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
The pellets of crumb rubber in turf contain toxic chemicals like petroleum compounds, metals, and lead, according to Stuart Shalat, former director of the Division of Environmental Health at Georgia State University.
—Jon-David Regis, NBC news, 12 Oct. 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.
Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
That’s right—gasoline and other petroleum products have a shelf life.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
As a student at the Colorado School of Mines, Sam Seeton juggled his role as running back for the school’s football team with his pursuit of a petroleum engineering degree, all while managing hunting and fishing access to his family’s ranch outside Buena Vista.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
The pellets of crumb rubber in turf contain toxic chemicals like petroleum compounds, metals, and lead, according to Stuart Shalat, former director of the Division of Environmental Health at Georgia State University.
—Jon-David Regis, NBC news, 12 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 2025.
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