Meaning & use
biofuel
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
Fuel made from recently living plant or animal material, such as crops, wood, or algae, instead of fossil fuels.
Grammar: Can be countable (a biofuel, biofuels) or uncountable (biofuel as a substance).
Patterns
- produce biofuel
- biofuel from something
- a type of biofuel
Many countries are investing in biofuels to reduce carbon emissions.
This car can run on biofuel made from used cooking oil.
The production of biofuel from corn has been criticized for raising food prices.
Word forms
| plural | biofuels |
|---|
Common combinations
- biofuel production
- Biofuel production has increased in recent years.
- biofuel crop
- Corn is a common biofuel crop in the United States.
- produce biofuel
- The factory produces biofuel from agricultural waste.
- biofuel industry
- The biofuel industry is growing rapidly.
- sustainable biofuel
- Researchers are looking for more sustainable biofuels.
Synonyms and how they differ
- agrofuel
- A less common term specifically for fuel from agricultural crops; biofuel is broader and includes waste and algae.
- renewable fuel
- A wider category that includes biofuels as well as other sources like hydrogen; biofuel specifically comes from living matter.
Opposites
Word family
- biofueled adjective
- Powered by biofuel (e.g., a biofueled bus).
Commonly confused: biofuel or fossil fuel?
biofuel vs fossil fuel
Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) come from ancient decomposed organisms; biofuels come from recently living plants or animals.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'biofuel' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Biofuel is a fuel made from living matter, so 'made from sugarcane' fits. The other options misuse it as a verb, confuse it with fossil fuel, or treat it as a countable object you can buy.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “biofuel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.