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

On Monday, the price of unleaded fuel in Alderney was £2.30 per litre, and diesel was £2.58, making it one of the most expensive places to buy petrol in the British Isles.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline hit roughly $4.12 a gallon, up from $2.98 before the fighting began in the Persian Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

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

He held that leading is no advantage to clearness, and that it would be better to print the same words on the page in a larger type unleaded.

From The Booklover and His Books by Koopman, Harry Lyman