fossil fuel

American

[fos-uhl fyoo-uhl] / ˈfɒs əl ˈfyu əl /

noun

Energy.

any combustible organic material, as oil, coal, or natural gas, derived from the remains of former life.

fossil fuel British

noun

any naturally occurring carbon or hydrocarbon fuel, such as coal, petroleum, peat, and natural gas, formed by the decomposition of prehistoric organisms

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fossil fuel Scientific

A hydrocarbon fuel, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, derived from the accumulated remains of ancient plants and animals and used as fuel. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases generated by burning fossil fuels are considered to be one of the principal causes of global warming.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bowen said every country "has a fossil fuel profile" and that "we're all in this together".

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

It was one of the first nations to sign a proposed treaty calling for an end to the expansion of fossil fuel projects.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Again those fuels are likely to be a major cost for airlines, with estimates that the cost could be 10 times higher than traditional fossil fuel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Researchers estimate that carbon released through soil respiration is seven to eight times greater than annual fossil fuel emissions produced by humans.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

That takes a lot of energy and a lot of fossil fuel.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023