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.
In one case, the system was tasked with designing a critical workflow for a downstream refinery. Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 Still, prices could rise in the event of a geopolitical conflict, disruptive hurricane season or major oil refinery outages, de Haan said, adding the national average price for a gallon of gas could drop below $3 by September. Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 July 2025 As always, there’s a risk that gas prices could start climbing again if something else goes wrong in the Middle East, US refineries suffer outages or hurricanes season interrupts energy supplies. Matt Egan, CNN Money, 1 July 2025 Eight major refineries account for about 96% of crude oil capacity in the state — and that figure includes the Valero refinery in Benicia and the Phillips 66 facilities in Carson and Wilmington. Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 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

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Cite this Entry

“Refinery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refinery. Accessed 22 Jul. 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

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