petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm 
-ˈtrōl-yəm
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
Examples of petroleum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In those cases, the carbon goes toward forcing more petroleum from nearly empty wells—perhaps the least climate-friendly use of the technology imaginable.
—
Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024
Other petroleum is trapped far beneath the earth or locked in sedimentary shale rocks, and requires deep drilling and elaborate fracking or high-heat pyrolysis to be usable.
—Niall Ferguson, TIME, 2 Aug. 2024
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest petroleum reserves, was long one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America — though deep divisions between rich and poor were a source of instability.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
The stoppages could cripple the shipment of food grains, beans, potash, coal and timber which form a large part of Canada’s exports, while also impacting shipments ranging from petroleum products to chemicals and cars.
—Reuters, CNN, 19 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for petroleum 
Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024
Other petroleum is trapped far beneath the earth or locked in sedimentary shale rocks, and requires deep drilling and elaborate fracking or high-heat pyrolysis to be usable.
—Niall Ferguson, TIME, 2 Aug. 2024
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest petroleum reserves, was long one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America — though deep divisions between rich and poor were a source of instability.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
The stoppages could cripple the shipment of food grains, beans, potash, coal and timber which form a large part of Canada’s exports, while also impacting shipments ranging from petroleum products to chemicals and cars.
—Reuters, CNN, 19 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for petroleum
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petroleum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Petroleum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petroleum. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm
-ˈtrōl-yəm
: an oily flammable liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, is obtained from wells drilled in the ground, and is the source of gasoline, kerosene, fuel oils, and other products
Medical Definition
petroleum
noun
pe·tro·leum
pə-ˈtrō-lē-əm, -ˈtrōl-yəm
: an oily flammable bituminous liquid that may vary from almost colorless to black, occurs in many places in the upper strata of the earth, is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with small amounts of other substances, and is prepared for use as gasoline, naphtha, or other products by various refining processes
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