petrol

noun

pet·​rol ˈpe-trəl How to pronounce petrol (audio)
-ˌträl
chiefly British
: gasoline

Examples of petrol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
China's demand for petrol and diesel is falling as electric vehicle sales surge, but the trend is being masked by the country's massive strategic stockpiling of crude oil, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 11 July 2025 Maybe that has helped to have enough petrol in the tank to keep going (until the end of the season), because other teams who are maybe more intense have struggled with injuries. — Andy Jones, New York Times, 29 May 2025 As Truck 81 candidate Jimmy Borelli, McQueen debuted in the season 4 premiere before a petrol explosion partially blinded him in season 5, ending his stint on the show. — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 July 2025 Picture a future where Glasgow hits 40 degrees C in March, private motorists face heavy taxes for driving petrol or diesel cars and the pressure to cut emissions is coming from every direction. — Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for petrol

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French pétrole "petroleum, any of various products distilled from petroleum," going back to Old French petteroile, petrole "mineral oil, petroleum," borrowed from Medieval Latin petroleum — more at petroleum

Note: The use of the word in English is apparently owed to a cooperative endeavor by the British distilling and oil refining firm Carless, Capel and Leonard and the engineer Frederick Richard Simms, who had purchased the rights to Gottlieb Daimler's gasoline-powered engine. Though an attempt to register petrol as a trademark was unsuccessful, Carless, Capel and Leonard continued to use it as a marketing name. Note that French pétrole (rather than essence de pétrole) is used for distilled petroleum products by Gustave Richard in Les nouveaux moteurs à gaz et à pétrole (Paris, 1892). The now usual French word essence for "gasoline" is shortened from essence de pétrole.

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petrol was in 1895

Phrases Containing petrol

Browse Nearby Words

Petroica
petrol
petrolage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Petrol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petrol. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

petrol

noun
pet·​rol ˈpe-trəl How to pronounce petrol (audio)
-ˌträl
chiefly British
: gasoline

More from Merriam-Webster on petrol

Nglish: Translation of petrol for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about petrol

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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