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.
Over the following decades, the company expanded into a sprawling agricultural and industrial enterprise that included sugar mills, a refinery, a rice mill, packaging facilities and one of North America’s largest biomass renewable power plants. — Luisa Yanez, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, as Ukraine continues to strike Russian oil refineries, Reuters has reported that these attacks have resulted in a decline in Russian gasoline production. — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Throughout most of modern history, wars have targeted energy infrastructure, including oil wells, refineries, pipelines, export terminals and power plants. — Amy Myers Jaffe, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2026 It is also used in the production of refrigerants and as a processing aid at petroleum refineries, according to the EPA. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 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

Rhymes for refinery

See All Rhymes for refinery

Browse Nearby Words

refiners' sirup
refinery
refinger
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Cite this Entry

“Refinery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refinery. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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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

Nglish: Translation of refinery for Spanish Speakers

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