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

See Examples For:

fossil fuel

They found that nearly half of those declines were caused by the planet-heating gases released into the atmosphere by 122 of the world’s largest fossil fuel and cement companies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Once again, the fossil fuel industry led the way.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to heat up because of fossil fuel emissions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Meanwhile, there’s a growing business case for companies in Europe to electrify their industrial heat, according to a recent report from McKinsey—particularly as fossil fuel prices remain volatile.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 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