petrol

noun

pet·​rol ˈpe-trəl 

-ˌträl

chiefly British

: gasoline

Examples of petrol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Soon after taking over a struggling economy in May 2023, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu scrapped a petrol subsidy regime that had cost the government $10 billion in 2022, surpassing the amount spent on health and education combined. —Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025

Anyone recognize this petrol explorer? —Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025

Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames, yet thought a one line expression of concern from her would reassure me of her fundamental sympathy and kindness. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025

Crane deployment for tender and equipment bays, 132 gallons of petrol storage in jerry cans, crew wet room, crew workbench and store provide scientific and research teams with top of industry equipment and work areas, or leisure guests with more toys than imaginable. —Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French pétrole "petroleum, any of various products distilled from petroleum," going back to Old French petteroile, petrole "mineral oil, petroleum," borrowed from Medieval Latin petroleum — more at petroleum

Note: The use of the word in English is apparently owed to a cooperative endeavor by the British distilling and oil refining firm Carless, Capel and Leonard and the engineer Frederick Richard Simms, who had purchased the rights to Gottlieb Daimler's gasoline-powered engine. Though an attempt to register petrol as a trademark was unsuccessful, Carless, Capel and Leonard continued to use it as a marketing name. Note that French pétrole (rather than essence de pétrole) is used for distilled petroleum products by Gustave Richard in Les nouveaux moteurs à gaz et à pétrole (Paris, 1892). The now usual French word essence for "gasoline" is shortened from essence de pétrole.

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing petrol

• petrol bomb
• petrol station

Kids Definition

petrol

noun

pet·​rol ˈpe-trəl 

-ˌträl

chiefly British

: gasoline