fossil fuel

noun

: a fuel (such as coal, oil, or natural gas) formed in the earth from plant or animal remains

fossil-fueled

ˈfä-səl-ˌfyü(-ə)ld 

adjective

Examples of fossil fuel in a Sentence

oil and other fossil fuels

Recent Examples on the Web

Planet-heating emissions from burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are the primary driver of climate change. — Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Part of the industry’s emissions comes from the fossil fuels burned to generate the enormous amount of heat required inside cement kilns. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026

And the average sea-surface temperature just hit a record 70 degrees, according to Europe’s Earth observation agency Copernicus, as the burning of fossil fuels continues to heat the planet. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Decades of toxic air The staggering impacts begin during the extraction of fossil fuels for oil refineries and chemical plants, including a cluster in and around Sarnia, Ontario, at the southern tip of Lake Huron. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fossil fuel

• accrual
• nonfuel
• refuel
• renewal
• biofuel
• contextual
• nonrenewal
• nonsexual
• unusual
• cruel
• dual
• duel

Kids Definition

fossil fuel

noun

: a fuel (as coal, oil, or natural gas) that is formed in the earth from plant or animal remains