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

When deforestation rates are high, the Amazonian states in Brazil have a per capita rate of CO2 emissions on par with some major petroleum producing countries, but with much less economic progress to show for it. —Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

The plane fell shortly after takeoff, hitting a petroleum recycling center and carving a path of destruction through an industrial zone near the airport, killing at least 14 people, including a young child, and injuring several others. —Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Nov. 2025

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, previously told The Sacramento Bee that the fire was expected to push gas prices up by 5 to 25 cents per gallon. —Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025

And if the tech scales globally, millions of pregnancy tests, disease-detection strips, and farm-diagnostic kits could end their decades-long dependence on petroleum plastics. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 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