unleaded

American  

[uhn-led-id] / ʌnˈlɛd ɪd /

adjective

1. (of gasoline) containing no tetraethyllead; lead-free.

2. Printing. not separated or spaced with leads, as lines of type or printed matter.

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noun

1. an unleaded product, especially gasoline that contains no tetraethyllead.

unleaded British  

/ ʌnˈlɛdɪd /

adjective

1. (of petrol) containing a reduced amount of tetraethyl lead, in order to reduce environmental pollution

2. not covered or weighted with lead

3. printing (of lines of type, etc) not spaced or separated with leads; solid

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noun

1. petrol containing a reduced amount of tetraethyl lead

Etymology

Origin of unleaded

First recorded in 1605–15; un- ¹ + lead ² + -ed ³

Example Sentences

In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency issued temporary waivers to allow the sale of E15, a gas blend that contains more ethanol and is cheaper than regular unleaded, to help ease rising fuel prices.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

But catalytic devices worked only with unleaded gas, and America’s gas stations were still pumping fuel with hyped names like “super ethyl.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The national average price for a gallon of unleaded was $3.977 around noon Eastern time, up $1.03 a gallon from last month’s average of $2.951, according to AAA.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

In northern Kentucky, most stations recently showed prices approaching $3.50 for regular unleaded, an increase of more than 50 cents compared with a month ago, according to AAA.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

This is what Collingwood read as he sat, coffee-cup in one hand, newspaper in the other—staring at the lines of unleaded type:

From The Talleyrand Maxim by Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)