What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
smelter
Example
The smelter produced tons of copper every year. [smelter: noun]
Example
The workers were smelting iron in the furnace. [smelting: verb]
refinery
Example
The refinery produces thousands of barrels of gasoline every day. [refinery: noun]
Example
The company is building a new refinery to process sugar cane. [refinery: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Refinery is more commonly used than smelter in everyday language. Refinery is a term that is widely recognized and used in the oil and gas industry, while smelter is a more specialized term used in the metal industry.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between smelter and refinery?
Both smelter and refinery are technical terms used in industrial settings and are therefore considered formal language.
