biofuel
Americannoun
-
biofuels
plural
noun
-
Fuel produced from renewable resources, especially plant biomass, vegetable oils, and treated municipal and industrial wastes. Biofuels are considered neutral with respect to the emission of carbon dioxide because the carbon dioxide given off by burning them is balanced by the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants that are grown to produce them. The use of biofuels as an additive to petroleum-based fuels can also result in cleaner burning with less emission of carbon monoxide and particulates.
-
◆ Ethanol produced by fermenting the sugars in biomass materials such as corn and agricultural residues is known as bioethanol. Bioethanol is used in internal-combustion engines either in pure form or more often as a gasoline additive.
-
◆ Biodiesel is made by processing vegetable oils and other fats and is also used either in pure form or as an additive to petroleum-based diesel fuel.
-
◆ Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter such as sewage and municipal wastes by bacteria. It is used especially in the generation of hot water and electricity.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of biofuel
Explanation
Biofuel is organic material that's burned to create energy. Wood is considered a biofuel, and so is ethanol, which is made from corn. Fuel that comes from living matter is categorized as biofuel, often to distinguish it from fossil fuels. Anything that was once part of a plant, animal, or algae, which is burned to create energy, is biofuel. While it's considered to be renewable and cleaner than oil or gas, biofuel is criticized for the environmental impact of refining it (turning corn into ethanol, for example), and the emissions created from burning it. Biofuel was coined in the 1980s.
Vocabulary lists containing biofuel
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.
See Examples For:
Easing geopolitical risks reduces the risk premium in crude oil, a key driver of palm oil prices, as biofuel demand tends to weaken when energy prices decline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
However, because the beads are entirely organic, they could then be repurposed as agricultural fertilizer or converted into biofuel.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026
Declines in crude tend to weigh on demand for palm oil as a biofuel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
Investment implications: Higher ethanol demand could support corn prices, benefiting crop processors like Archer Daniels Midland and companies tied to the biofuel supply chain, including ethanol producers such as Green Plains and REX American Resources.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
The bill’s outcome could impact lower-income consumption, food producers, retailers, crop insurers, and the biofuel and energy sectors.
From Barron's ● May 1, 2026
Additional square miles required to produce enough biofuels for nations to meet all their targets for blending them into gasoline and diesel, according to Chatham House.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Electricity, biofuels and other sources of energy have been taking market share as developed nations, including the U.S., become less dependent on oil.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Among other deals, the buyout giant last year added to its stake in Enilive, the biofuels and car-sharing unit of Italian energy company Eni with U.K. operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Facing reduced sales to China, Trump said his administration had expanded exports of American meat, poultry, soybeans, biofuels and Wisconsin dairy, citing stronger dairy sales to Japan, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Australia.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Before you know it, efficient production of biofuels will give us the equivalent of hundreds of miles from a gallon of gas.
From State of the Union Address by William Jefferson Clinton
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.
