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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.

“It would be appropriate to hold off on interest-rate hikes until the situation in the Strait of Hormuz moves toward normalization or the outlook for crude oil procurement becomes clear,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

In 2025, 61% of crude oil supply to California’s refineries came from foreign sources, according to the California Energy Commission.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

"For natural rubber gloves, input costs have risen by approximately 30 percent, as natural rubber is a traded commodity which is impacted by the uptrend in crude oil prices," the company added.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Middle Eastern producers can’t get their crude oil to Asia, which normally refines the oil into fuel and sends it to Europe and elsewhere.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

This time I've sprayed my white-blond strands a deep black, as if I'd dipped them in crude oil.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

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.