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

American companies can go in and fix the oil rigs and everything that has to do with the Venezuelan petroleum companies, with oil and the derivatives. —MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

The decline in gas prices is owed in part to a steep drop in the cost of crude oil, the underlying commodity that refineries turn into gas, Patrick de Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told ABC News Live. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2025

This is a soapy comedy-drama about living in West Texas and working in the petroleum industry — and though the cartel theatrics and traditional crime-drama beats kick in from time to time, Sheridan is more interested in day-to-day life. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2025

Vanillin is artificially derived from lignon (wood pulp) or guaiacol (a petroleum byproduct). —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2025

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