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

“Using fossil fuel in this day and age is not a good idea.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

"The lesson of yet another global energy shock is that the UK needs to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and onto clean homegrown power that we control," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

"We already have a backlog of renewable energy projects that are waiting for grid connections," and the timelines are potentially "much shorter" than for fossil fuel projects.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

A 2,000-year-old cement battery could reduce our reliance on fossil fuel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

That takes a lot of energy and a lot of fossil fuel.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan