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
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Patrick De Haan, lead petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, added that refineries typically keep a few days' worth of crude oil in reserve, which could buffer the immediate impact.
—
Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Canada is by far the biggest source of U.S. petroleum imports, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Valued at $645 billion in 2024 imports, these include crude oil, petroleum products and other energy imports, pharmaceuticals, uranium, titanium, lumber and semiconductors and copper.
—David Lawder, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
The punishments would include a 500% tariff on imports from countries that buy Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas or uranium, according to a draft of the bill seen by Bloomberg News.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petroleum
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Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Canada is by far the biggest source of U.S. petroleum imports, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Valued at $645 billion in 2024 imports, these include crude oil, petroleum products and other energy imports, pharmaceuticals, uranium, titanium, lumber and semiconductors and copper.
—David Lawder, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
The punishments would include a 500% tariff on imports from countries that buy Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas or uranium, according to a draft of the bill seen by Bloomberg News.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petroleum
Cite this Entry
“Petroleum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petroleum. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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