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.
Data from analytics platform Kpler showed that in the two weeks after the Martinez refinery shut down, two tankers laden with gasoline set sail from the Jamnagar refinery complex and reached the Olympus Terminal in the Port of Long Beach in March 2025. Aaron Cantú, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026 The California Energy Commission is reporting the lowest stock of jet fuel at refineries in more than two years. Austin Amestoy, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026 No pipelines carry fuels into the state from the Gulf Coast, and the state has also seen two refineries shuttered since October 2025, eliminating roughly 20% of its capacity. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026 South Korea and Japan both saw petrochemical and refinery activities slow, ING noted, although the impacts were offset by growth in other sectors. semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026 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 2 May. 2026.

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster