petrodollar

noun

pet·​ro·​dol·​lar ˈpe-trō-ˌdä-lər How to pronounce petrodollar (audio)
: a dollar's worth of foreign exchange obtained by a petroleum-exporting country through sales abroad
usually used in plural

Examples of petrodollar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With efforts to diversify the economy floundering, Timor-Leste is banking on more petrodollars via the $50 billion Greater Sunrise gasfield—mooted as one of the world’s largest untapped reserves—that lies between it and Australia. Charlie Campbell / Dili, Timor-Leste, TIME, 4 Sep. 2024 Around this time, petrodollars were pouring into the Soviet economy, as the oil fields discovered in the 1960s came on line; and oil prices rose after the oil crisis of 1973. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2024 Qatar has also gotten into the game, alongside Saudi Arabia, which has long used its petrodollars to buy influence in the region. Maha Yahya, Foreign Affairs, 22 Mar. 2022 Moreover, as a region, Kirkuk would enjoy its constitutional share of revenue as well the petrodollars. Luay Al Khatteeb, Foreign Affairs, 18 Jan. 2016 See all Example Sentences for petrodollar 

Word History

Etymology

petro- + dollar

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petrodollar was in 1973

Dictionary Entries Near petrodollar

Cite this Entry

“Petrodollar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrodollar. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

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