fossil fuel

American  

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

noun

Energy.

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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Example Sentences

Today, most industrial formate production relies on fossil fuels, which limits its long-term environmental benefits.

From Science Daily

Fully sustainable fuels, made from waste biomass or synthetic industrial processes, have added a new complication, as they burn differently from fossil fuel petrol.

From BBC

Like other European countries, the Czech Republic -- an EU member of 10.9 million -- is divesting from fossil fuels including black coal, used in heating plants or steelworks, to reduce emissions in line with EU targets.

From Barron's

Meanwhile, incentives for the use of green chemicals, produced from low-carbon hydrogen instead of fossil fuels, haven’t been enough to spur the massive investments needed to overhaul the industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

They can use electricity generated from increasingly clean sources, as wind and solar power replace polluting fossil fuels.

From BBC