Synonyms

fossil fuel

American

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

noun

Energy.

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

fossil fuel British

noun

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

"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

fossil fuel Scientific

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.

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.

But solar energy still costs more than the fossil- fuel variety.

From Time Magazine Archive

Keeling believes this La Nia might reduce CO2 in the atmosphere by roughly 40% of the total produced annually by worldwide fossil- fuel burning.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023