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

Buoyed by high demand for its Nigerian refinery’s initial public offering in multiple African stock markets, Dangote is pursuing the expansion of every unit of his conglomerate, with future IPOs planned for the cement and fertilizer businesses. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026

The aviation union also took issue with BP using out-of-state, temporary workers to run the refinery during the lockout. — Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026

Russian media outlets later reported a blaze at Ryazan oil refinery, sharing pictures of plumes of smoke and the night sky glowing red. — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

When Chinese firms own a mine, the output flows either to their refineries or downstream manufacturers in China. — Tom Moerenhout, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 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