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Synonyms

crude oil

American  

noun

  1. petroleum as it comes from the ground, before refining.

crude oil British  

noun

  1. petroleum before it has been refined

"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
crude oil Scientific  
/ kro̅o̅d /

  1. Unrefined petroleum.

Etymology

Origin of crude oil

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

Crude oil prices rose as oil markets reset their expectations due to as a lack of progress in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran raising concerns about supply.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Crude oil imports rose by 787,000 barrels a day to 6.1 million barrels a day, while exports fell by 427,000 barrels a day to 4.8 million barrels a day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Crude oil prices ended Friday at five-week lows as tensions had relaxed.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 19, 2026

Crude oil is a key ingredient in petrol and diesel, meaning higher wholesale costs make filling up a car more expensive.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Crude oil is now sold at $3 per barrel in Los Angeles, and the oil companies are making immense profits.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 430, March 29, 1884 by Various

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.