oilman

American  

[oil-man, -muhn] / ˈɔɪlˌmæn, -mən /

noun

plural

oilmen

1. a person who owns or operates oil wells or an executive in the petroleum industry.

2. a person who retails or delivers oil, especially fuel oil for furnaces.

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oilman British  

/ ˈɔɪlmən /

noun

1. a person who owns or operates oil wells

2. a person who makes or sells oil

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Gender

See -man.

Etymology

Origin of oilman

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; oil, man

Example Sentences

He is a respected, successful oilman who for years was U.S. shale’s de facto leader.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

But what is opportunity to one oilman is “uninvestable” to another.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

Buckley was the fourth of 10 children of a millionaire oilman and older brother of conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr., who died in February 2008.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2023

This oilman here was not a nabob like Doheny, but his L.A. oil scandal was going on at the same time.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2023

“After all,” one oilman reasoned, “we’re just another Middle East war away from another boom.”

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger