refinery

noun

re·​fin·​ery ri-ˈfī-nə-rē How to pronounce refinery (audio)
-ˈfīn-rē
plural refineries
: a building and equipment for refining or processing something (such as oil or sugar)

Examples of refinery 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.
Crude oil, which the pipeline carries from Canada to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma, spilled into an agricultural field south of the pump station, Seuss said. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2025 The move, ordered by a Trump appointee, would affect thousands of industrial facilities across the country, including oil refineries, power plants and coal mines as well as those that make petrochemicals, cement, glass, iron and steel, according to documents reviewed by ProPublica. Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2025 The Keystone oil pipeline was shut down Tuesday morning after a rupture in North Dakota halted the flow from Canada to U.S. refineries. Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025 And not just any oil infrastructure, but refineries in particular: the beating chemical hearts of the Russian economy ... and any war effort that economy sustains. David Axe, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for refinery

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of refinery was circa 1741

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refinery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refinery. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

refinery

noun
re·​fin·​ery ri-ˈfīn-(ə-)rē How to pronounce refinery (audio)
plural refineries
: a building and equipment for refining metals, oil, or sugar

More from Merriam-Webster on refinery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!