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

The tariff will apply to a host of Brazilian products, but will exempt certain major exports including coffee, beef, avocados, Brazil nuts, petroleum oils and aircraft parts, according to a notice published by the Office of the USTR. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Patrick De Haan, a petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, forecast that the average national gas price could rise above $4 per gallon within the next week and add to those gains over the ensuing days. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 14 July 2026

The reason is that oil prices have started to surge after what Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said was a streak of eight weeks of gradual declines. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 July 2026

As world petroleum supplies remain squeezed, Nigeria is stepping up in a big way. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "mineral oil," borrowed from Medieval Latin, "mineral oil, crude oil," from Latin petra "rock" (borrowed from Greek pétra) + oleum "oil" — more at petro-, oil entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing petroleum

• liquefied petroleum gas
• petroleum jelly

Rhymes for petroleum

• folium
• lolium
• oleum
• scholium
• linoleum
• trifolium
• tetrazolium

Kids 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