fossil fuel

American  

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

noun

Energy.

• fossil fuels
  plural

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

---

fossil fuel British  

noun

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

---

fossil fuel Scientific  

1. 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.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fossil fuels
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fossil fuel

All of the companies agreed to invest instead in U.S. fossil fuel projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Oregon's Multnomah County, for example, is suing fossil fuel giants for more than $51 billion over pollution that fueled a deadly 2021 heat dome in the Pacific Northwest, during which hundreds died.

From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026

"If we dramatically cut CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning, or reduce deforestation, the projected increase would be lower," Melillo explains.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

But what that adds up to depends on where you are, how well we prepare for these events—and, of course, how much fossil fuel we burn, which will largely determine what happens to temperatures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

To top it off, my industrial organic meal is nearly as drenched in fossil fuel as a non-organic meal.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan