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.

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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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fossil fuels
  plural

Example Sentences

And it would experiment with capturing carbon to stop fossil fuel emissions from entering the atmosphere.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026

Global emissions could be reduced without cutting fossil fuel use at all.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026

"Geothermal today is still more expensive because you are not getting as much power out of the well as you would if you were using that well for fossil fuel."

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

Guterres said the agriculture and waste sectors must take steps to curb their methane output but he put a "special focus" on the fossil fuel industry to "do what is long overdue".

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

How much fossil fuel was burned to keep it refrigerated and fly it to the U.S.?

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan