crude

adjective \ ˈkrüd \

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: crude in a Sentence

Definition of crude

cruder; crudest

1 : marked by the primitive, gross, or elemental or by uncultivated simplicity or vulgarity

a crude stereotype

crude tools

crude jokes

2 : existing in a natural state and unaltered by cooking or processing

crude oil

crude ore

3 : rough or inexpert in plan or execution

a crude shelter

4 : lacking a covering, glossing, or concealing element : obvious

crude facts

5 : tabulated without being broken down into classes

the crude death rate

6 archaic : unripe, immature

—

crudely

adverb

—

crudeness

noun

See crude defined for English-language learners

See crude defined for kids

Examples of crude in a Sentence

They built a crude shelter out of branches.
a crude summary of the country's history
She first described the procedure in crude terms, and then went into more detail.

Recent Examples of crude from the Web

Oil Production and Imports U.S. crude oil production resumed its upward trend under Trump, rising 10 percent during the most recent 12 months on record (ending in April), compared with all of 2016.

— brooks jackson, Philly.com, "Trump's Numbers (Second Quarterly Update) | FactCheck," 11 July 2018
Egan said the incident happened during a busy week before Crowley's outgoing boats had left Port Valdez, where North Slope crude oil is loaded into tankers.

— alex demarban, Anchorage Daily News, "Coast Guard investigating after 2nd accident for new spill-response operator in Prince William Sound," 11 July 2018
Economic and geopolitical turmoil in Venezuela has also contributed to falling global supply, as the country’s crude production has plummeted.

— stephanie yang, WSJ, "Crude Prices Soar on Supply, Stockpile News," 27 June 2018
Even with rising crude prices, the country is grappling with a large budget deficit.

— The Economist, "How to ensure Muhammad bin Salman’s reforms succeed," 23 June 2018
Kloza, however, says an increase of 1 million barrels a day could push down crude prices to about $60 in the medium term.

— paul davidson, USA TODAY, "Oil prices fall on talk of hike in production, raising hope for dip in gasoline prices," 25 May 2018
Mosher said crude oil sells for more than $70 per barrel for an extended period of time, the national average could hit $3 this summer.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Get ready for higher prices at the pump in west suburbs," 10 May 2018
The escalating tensions weighed on investors already concerned about war, with crude prices holding high levels while the lira in Turkey, which has troops in Syria, weakened for the fourth day.

— jennifer jacobs, Time, "Here's What Could Be Stopping President Trump From Striking Syria – for Now," 12 Apr. 2018
That’s largely why the U.S. is producing record volumes of both crude oil and natural gas.

— jordan blum, San Antonio Express-News, "Texas rig count falls by five," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crude.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crude

Middle English, from Latin crudus raw, crude, undigested — more at raw

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

crude Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of crude

rude, rough, crude, raw mean lacking in social refinement. rude implies ignorance of or indifference to good form; it may suggest intentional discourtesy.

- rude behavior

rough is likely to stress lack of polish and gentleness.

- rough manners

crude may apply to thought or behavior limited to the gross, the obvious, or the primitive.

- a crude joke

raw suggests being untested, inexperienced, or unfinished.

- turning raw youths into polished performers

crude

noun

Definition of crude

: a substance in its natural unprocessed state; especially : unrefined petroleum

See crude defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of crude from the Web

Brent crude, the global benchmark, added 88 cents, or 1.2%, to $75.33.

— david hodari, WSJ, "Oil Inched Higher on Continued Supply Uncertainty," 13 July 2018
Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 49 cents to $78.56 per barrel.

— annabelle liang, The Seattle Times, "Asian markets mirror optimism on Wall Street," 10 July 2018
Gasoline prices in San Antonio fell by just over a penny last week while prices across the country remained mostly flat after surging alongside crude oil prices ahead of the July 4 holiday.

— katherine blunt and rye druzin, San Antonio Express-News, "Gas prices continue to fall in San Antonio," 9 July 2018
Brent crude — the international benchmark — moved up 3 percent.

— rob nikolewski, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Sorry, OPEC move not likely to have much effect on California gasoline prices," 22 June 2018
Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 64 cents to $74.70 per barrel in London.

— joe mcdonald, USA TODAY, "Asian stocks tumble after new Trump tariff threat," 19 June 2018
Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell $2.35 to $76.44 a barrel in London, contributing to the first weekly drop in seven weeks.

— staff and wire services, Houston Chronicle, "Oil dives as OPEC signals plan to boost supplies," 25 May 2018
The international standard, Brent crude, was up $1.30 to $76.17 in London.

— david koenig, Fox News, "US oil prices top $70 a barrel for the first time since 2014," 8 May 2018
Saudi Arabia currently produces some 10 million barrels of crude oil a day.

— amir vahdat, USA TODAY, "Iran warns against oil production boost after Trump tweet," 1 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of crude

see ¹crude

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1904

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

CRUDE Defined for English Language Learners

crude

adjective

Definition of crude for English Language Learners

: very simple and basic : made or done in a way that does not show a lot of skill
: rude in a way that makes people uncomfortable; especially : talking about sexual matters in a rude way
: very simple and basic in a way that is true but not complete