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
The top-performing subsectors were coal, petroleum, and household appliances.
—
Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Moreover, Iran sold $144 billion worth of petroleum and petroleum products from 2021 to 2023, and petroleum product exports have increased by more than 50 percent from 2020 to 2023, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
One of Malaysia’s richest tycoons with a vast business empire including telecommunications, media, petroleum and real estate.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2024
They're typically made from plastic derived from petroleum and the majority come from China, meaning they are transported thousands of miles in container ships, adding to their net carbon cost.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024
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Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Moreover, Iran sold $144 billion worth of petroleum and petroleum products from 2021 to 2023, and petroleum product exports have increased by more than 50 percent from 2020 to 2023, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
One of Malaysia’s richest tycoons with a vast business empire including telecommunications, media, petroleum and real estate.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2024
They're typically made from plastic derived from petroleum and the majority come from China, meaning they are transported thousands of miles in container ships, adding to their net carbon cost.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for petroleum
Dictionary Entries Near petroleum
Cite this Entry
“Petroleum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petroleum. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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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