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Meaning & use

unleaded fuel

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ʌnˈledɪd ˈfjuːəl/
US/ʌnˈledɪd ˈfjuːəl/

Meaning

  1. noununcountable

    Petrol or gasoline that has no lead compound added, which makes it less harmful to the environment and to car engines fitted with catalytic converters.

    Grammar: No plural and no a: fill up with unleaded fuel.

    Patterns

    • run on unleaded fuel
    • fill up with unleaded fuel
    • switch to unleaded fuel

    Make sure you put unleaded fuel in the rental car.

    Most modern cars run only on unleaded fuel.

    Leaded fuel was banned in many countries, so unleaded fuel replaced it.

Common combinations

fill up with unleaded fuel
I filled up with unleaded fuel on the way to work.
run on unleaded fuel
The old van runs on unleaded fuel.
premium unleaded fuel
Sports cars often need premium unleaded fuel.
switch to unleaded fuel
The company switched its fleet to unleaded fuel.
a litre of unleaded fuel
A litre of unleaded fuel costs more than last month.

Synonyms and how they differ

unleaded petrol
Unleaded petrol is the normal British phrase, where fuel is a more general word.
unleaded gas
Unleaded gas is the casual American form and refers to the same product.
regular
Regular is an American pump label for a standard grade, and it may not mention lead at all.

Opposites

leaded fuel

Word family

lead noun
a soft, heavy metal that was once added to fuel
leaded adjective
containing lead
fuel noun
material burned to make power
refuel verb
to put more fuel in

Commonly confused: unleaded fuel or diesel?

unleaded fuel vs diesel

Diesel is a different fuel, and putting unleaded in a diesel engine can damage it.

Practice

Which fuel should go in a car marked for unleaded fuel?

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