fracking: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Journalistic, Technical, Political, Environmental
Quick answer
What does “fracking” mean?
A controversial industrial process for extracting oil or natural gas from rock by injecting high-pressure fluid to fracture it.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A controversial industrial process for extracting oil or natural gas from rock by injecting high-pressure fluid to fracture it.
Can refer more broadly to the associated industry, technologies, and political/environmental debates surrounding this extraction method.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term identically. The industry and debate are more established in the US, making the word more frequent in American media.
Connotations
Highly negative environmental connotations are common in both, but the term is more neutral in direct industry/pro-business contexts.
Frequency
Significantly higher frequency in American English due to the scale of the industry there.
Grammar
How to Use “fracking” in a Sentence
[The government] banned fracking.[The company] is fracking for shale gas.There is strong opposition to fracking [in the region].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fracking” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The firm plans to frack the site despite local objections.
- They have been fracking in Lancashire for years.
American English
- The company wants to frack this shale formation.
- They fracked over 50 wells last year.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
American English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The fracking licence was revoked.
- Fracking-related tremors were recorded.
American English
- The fracking boom transformed the local economy.
- New fracking regulations were proposed.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Discussed in terms of investment, energy security, and market impact.
Academic
Analysed in environmental science, geology, economics, and political science papers.
Everyday
Most often encountered in news reports about energy, protests, or government policy.
Technical
Refers precisely to the well stimulation technique involving fluid injection and proppants.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “fracking”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “fracking”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fracking”
- Spelling: 'fraccing', 'fracing'. The standard spelling is 'fracking'.
- Using it as a regular countable noun (e.g., 'a fracking'). It is generally uncountable.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a standard technical term but is now equally common in general journalism and political discourse due to the controversy surrounding it.
It refers to the use of pressurised fluid (water mixed with sand and chemicals) to fracture the rock.
No, it is used to extract both natural gas and oil from low-permeability rock formations like shale.
Key concerns include potential groundwater contamination, induced seismicity (earthquakes), high water usage, methane emissions, and its role in prolonging fossil fuel dependence.
A controversial industrial process for extracting oil or natural gas from rock by injecting high-pressure fluid to fracture it.
Fracking: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfrakɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfrækɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The fracking revolution”
- “Fracking hell! (a pun/exclamation)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of FRACKing as FRacturing rocks with high-pressure liquid to CRACK them open and extract resources.
Conceptual Metaphor
EARTH AS A CONTAINER (to be cracked open); INDUSTRY AS A FORCE (against nature/communities).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary purpose of fracking?