crude

play

adjective \ˈkrüd\

Definition of crude

cruder

;

crudest

1 : existing in a natural state and unaltered by cooking or processing crude oil crude ore
2 archaic : unripe, immature
3 : marked by the primitive, gross, or elemental or by uncultivated simplicity or vulgarity a crude stereotype crude tools crude jokes
4 : rough or inexpert in plan or execution a crude shelter
5 : lacking a covering, glossing, or concealing element : obvious crude facts
6 : tabulated without being broken down into classes the crude death rate

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

Crude and gasoline inventories both dropped by more than by 5.5 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report.

— ben sharples, Bloomberg.com, "Oil Rebounds From Biggest Slump in Four Weeks on Easing Supplies", 5 July 2017
Then, using a small paintbrush, the researchers applied a smudge of crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon well on the wingtips and tails of half the birds and flew them alongside birds whose feathers were oil-free.

— giorgia guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Even tiny amounts of oil could doom seabirds", 5 July 2017
Not to be crude, but a ton of people die on Pretty Little Liars.

— hannah orenstein, Seventeen, "9 Signs You Might Have Missed About A.D.'s Identity on "Pretty Little Liars"", 28 June 2017
Leading the increase in imports were industrial supplies, mostly crude oil.

— Washington Post, "US current account deficit expands to $116.8 billion", 20 June 2017
Tests have shown that coal from the area will yield crude oil under the right conditions, with heat and time considered key factors.

— alex demarban, Alaska Dispatch News, "Evidence of oil pushes Doyon drilling campaign forward", 19 June 2017
Rough Night ☆☆ Rated: R for crude sexual content, language throughout, drug use and brief bloody images.

— lindsey bahr, idahostatesman, "A questionable murder derails ‘Rough Night’ fun", 15 June 2017
When they were arrested, the men were finishing a report alleging low pay, excessive overtime, crude verbal abuse and possible misuse of student labor at Huajian factories.

— erika kinetz, The Seattle Times, "“You disappeared?” A wife seeks her husband missing in China", 8 June 2017
Melissa Phillip AP Activist shareholders are hitting Exxon, which produces about 2 percent of the world’s crude oil, with a version of the climate change accounting proposal for a second straight year.

— joe carroll, star-telegram, "Exxon faces shareholder challenges on climate change, executive pay", 30 May 2017

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

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

The tech biz can simultaneously be both more democratic, and more crude.

— scott canon, kansascity, "Digital Life: Tech’s egalitarian bro culture", 26 June 2017
Oil is estimated to account for a staggering 96 percent of Venezuela’s hard currency revenue and two and a half years of low prices for crude have decimated its economy.

— rob nikolewski, sandiegouniontribune.com, "The changing energy landscape in Latin America — and why it matters", 12 June 2017
CHARGED UP: Several energy sector stocks climbed as the price of crude oil inched higher.

— Washington Post, "US stock indexes mostly lower in afternoon trading", 9 June 2017
Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 78 cents to $49.10 per barrel.

— stan choe, The Mercury News, "Stocks rise, S&P 500 nears record after better jobs data", 1 June 2017
Amid weak crude prices, rampant corruption and general mismanagement, even basic goods are hard to come by.

— cody weddle and jim wyss, miamiherald, "For Venezuelan seniors, the ‘golden years’ mean picking through garbage for food", 19 May 2017
Putin’s crude jokes are often written off as a product of his childhood on the streets of St. Petersburg.

— leonid bershidsky, Twin Cities, "Leonid Bershidsky: Sergei Lavrov, live from the Oval Office", 15 May 2017
The International Energy Agency has warned that global oil discoveries reached a historic low last year, as cheap crude hit oil companies' exploration budgets and appetites.

— chicagotribune.com, "Desperate Saudis, Russians agree to extend oil production cuts", 15 May 2017
Brent crude, the standard for international oil prices, added 28 cents to $48.66 a barrel in London.

— marley jay, The Seattle Times, "US stocks inch higher following solid April jobs report", 5 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of crude

see ¹crude

NEW!

First Known Use: circa 1904

See Words from the same year

CRUDE Defined for English Language Learners

crude

play

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

crude

noun

Definition of crude for English Language Learners

: oil as it exists in the ground : petroleum that is not yet ready to be used as fuel

CRUDE Defined for Kids

crude

play

adjective \ˈkrüd\

Definition of crude for Students

cruder

;

crudest

1 : in a natural state and not changed by special treatment : raw crude oil crude sugar
2 : planned or done in a rough or unskilled way a crude drawing
3 : not having or showing good manners : vulgar crude language