petrodollar

noun

pet·​ro·​dol·​lar ˈpe-trō-ˌdä-lər 

: a dollar's worth of foreign exchange obtained by a petroleum-exporting country through sales abroad

—usually plural

Examples of petrodollar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Azerbaijan, already oil-rich, discovered gas under the Caspian Sea in the 1990s and the petrodollars pumped up its coffers. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

Oligarchs pocketed the petrodollars of the late-aughts oil boom and left the nation somehow poorer and more indebted. — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

The petrodollar remains the dominant currency used in global oil trade. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 May 2026

For leaders of global businesses, the question is not whether the petrodollar is dying. — Clay Chandler, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

petro- + dollar

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for petrodollar

• eurodollar
• caller
• choler
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• holler
• scholar
• smaller