crude

1 of 2

adjective

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

crude

2 of 2

noun

: a substance in its natural unprocessed state
especially : unrefined petroleum
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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
Chris Larkin, E*Trade’s managing director of trading and investing, said clients jumped on opportunities in energy amid a slump in crude oil and also sought out big retail names like Costco and Walmart as the massive port strike beckoned. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2024 While damage was limited, the increasing hostilities sent November crude oil futures higher by as much as 5% before settling down some and closing up nearly 4%. Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
Noun
Key Facts International benchmark Brent crude rose 2.7% to about $75.50 per barrel by midmorning, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate climbed 3% to $72 per barrel. Derek Saul, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 Brent crude rose another 1.5% in early trading on Wednesday to almost $75 a barrel. Henry Meyer and Marissa Newman / Bloomberg, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crude 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crude.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

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

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

circa 1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crude was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near crude

Cite this Entry

“Crude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crude. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

crude

1 of 2 adjective
cruder; crudest
1
: being in a natural state and not changed by cooking or refining : raw
crude oil
2
: not having or showing good manners : vulgar
3
: planned or done in a rough or unskilled way
a crude drawing
crudely adverb
crudeness noun

crude

2 of 2 noun
: crude oil

More from Merriam-Webster on crude

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!