refinery

American  

[ri-fahy-nuh-ree] / rɪˈfaɪ nə ri /

noun

plural

refineries

1. an establishment for refining something, as metal, sugar, or petroleum.

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refinery British  

/ rɪˈfaɪnərɪ /

noun

1. a factory for the purification of some crude material, such as ore, sugar, oil, etc

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refinery Scientific  

/ rĭ-fī′nə-rē /

1. An industrial plant that uses mechanical and chemical means to purify a substance, such as petroleum or sugar, or to convert it to a form that is more useful.

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Etymology

Origin of refinery

First recorded in 1720–30; refine + -ery

Explanation

A refinery is a facility where raw materials are converted into some valuable substance by having impurities removed. At an oil refinery, crude oil is treated and made into gasoline and other petroleum products. Whenever a material needs to have unwanted parts removed in order to be made into a useable product, it must be refined — clarified or processed. This is done at a plant called a refinery. A sugar refinery, for example, converts sugar cane or beets into familiar white, refined crystals of sugar. Refinery comes from refine, which is rooted in the now-obsolete verb fine, "make fine."

Example Sentences

Qatar’s Ras Laffan oil-and-gas complex, for example, may require years of repairs to restore 17% of its damaged capacity, while Bahrain’s Sitra refinery was struck twice, JPMorgan’s team said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

French energy giant TotalEnergies said it had shut down a major refinery on the eastern Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia after it was damaged during the war.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

After spiking earlier this year, refinery stocks have been more flat lately.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

It predicted a big hit in the form of higher jet-fuel costs this year—even though it operates its own refinery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Late in the afternoon, my father, whose name was also Phillip—Phillip Enright—returned home from the refinery where he was working on the program to increase production of aviation gas.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor

Related Words

• refiner