crude

adjective

\ ˈkrüd

cruder; crudest

Definition of crude

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

crude

noun

Definition of crude (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from crude Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about crude

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Choose the Right Synonym for crude

Adjective

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

Examples of crude in a Sentence

Adjective

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 on the Web: Adjective

Various wave types were simulated with Louisiana crude oil and Corexit dispersants on the water’s surface. — Tristan Baurick, NOLA.com, "Dispersants can turn oil spills into toxic mist, research shows," 21 Mar. 2018 The initial fire, caused by the explosion of a small tank containing either crude oil or asphalt, was out by 11:20 a.m. Eleven of the injured are being treated at hospitals in the region. — Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fire extinguished at Superior oil refinery after at least 20 were injured in explosions," 26 Apr. 2018 For perspective, crude oil was hovering around $48 a barrel back in September 2015. — Mark Glover, sacbee, "Gas prices at $4-per-gallon? We could see it with Syria and supply playing roles | The Sacramento Bee," 16 Apr. 2018 For the present two 5000-barrel barges will be used in transporting the crude oil from Long Beach to San Diego. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "Oil company takes over Chula Vista explosives plant," 6 Apr. 2018 Hydrogen is currently used to upgrade crude oil and synthesize ammonia, a critical building block of the fertilizers applied in modern agriculture. — Melissa C. Lott, Scientific American, "This Advance Brings Us a Lot Closer to a "Hydrogen Economy"," 1 May 2017 Algae, over the course of millions of years, naturally creates crude oil; yeast, of course, makes things like beer with relative ease. — David Ferry, Newsweek, "The Promises and Perils of Synthetic Biology," 11 Mar. 2015 That company is targeting clients who bet on the success of energy and commodities markets, like crude oil. — Rebecca Lurye, courant.com, "How Seven Stars Cloud Plans To Spend $283M In West Hartford," 14 July 2018 The number of rigs drilling for crude oil or natural gas grew this week by two rigs, both for gas, according to data collected by Houston energy services firm Baker Hughes, a GE company. — Houston Chronicle, "Texas rig counts ticks up amid oil price slide," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Light, sweet crude for August delivery fell 5 cents, or 0.1%, to $70.33 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. — David Hodari, WSJ, "Oil Prices Mixed On Libya Supply, Trade Concerns," 12 July 2018 The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, has risen more than 20 percent so far this year, to around $78 a barrel. — Stanley Reed, New York Times, "Saudi Arabia Promised More Oil. So Why Are Prices Rising?," 4 July 2018 But Tyner explained the lure of higher prices and more profits could prompt some OPEC members and other producers to break ranks and increase the supply of crude, which could help temper prices. — Tim Evans, Indianapolis Star, "Pain at the pump: Purdue prof says Hoosiers to pay highest gas prices in at least 4 years," 11 May 2018 Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, increased 3.5 percent in April to $71.04 a barrel, hitting its highest rate since late 2014. — Zeeshan Aleem, Vox, "You’re going to pay a lot more at the gas station if Trump kills the Iran deal," 4 May 2018 Brent crude for June delivery fell about 69 cents at the time of the tweet, before closing 28 cents higher at $74.06 a barrel in London. — Kevin Crowley, Bloomberg.com, "Oil Shrugs Off Trump Tweet to Rise for a Second Straight Week," 20 Apr. 2018 The Energy Department projects that the recent surge will hold the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, to $60 a barrel in 2018 and $61 a barrel in 2019 — a modest increase from $54 last year. — Author: Clifford Krauss, Anchorage Daily News, "Oil price boom gives the U.S. a new edge in energy and diplomacy," 29 Jan. 2018 Much of the boost has come from the S&P 500’s energy sector, which has rallied as dwindling oil production in Venezuela and fears of a supply disruption in Iran have sent U.S. crude oil prices soaring above $70 a barrel again. — Michael Wursthorn, WSJ, "With Stock Market in Lull, Investors Pin Hopes on Earnings Boom," 10 July 2018 Global oil prices have risen on the expectation that the U.S. will push its allies to stop importing Iranian crude oil, further tightening the world energy supplies. — Matthew Lee And Jon Gambrell, Fox News, "Pompeo talks tough on Iran while visiting the Emirates," 10 July 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.