refinery

noun

re·​fin·​ery ri-ˈfī-nə-rē 

-ˈfīn-rē

plural refineries

: a building and equipment for refining or processing something (such as oil or sugar)

Examples of refinery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had also carried out overnight strikes against targets in Russia, including an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region. — Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026

Kyiv has also sought to bring the costs of the war deeper into Russia through long-range strikes on oil refineries and energy infrastructure. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

More recently, consumers have coped with higher gasoline prices and shortages due to Ukrainian drone attacks that knocked out refineries. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

Step Back Dangote, the billionaire industrialist, has opposed imports since before his refinery began supplying fuels in 2024. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for refinery

• binary
• finery
• winery

Kids Definition

refinery

noun

re·​fin·​ery ri-ˈfīn-(ə-)rē 

plural refineries

: a building and equipment for refining metals, oil, or sugar