defecation

noun

def·​e·​ca·​tion ˌde-fi-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the discharge of solid waste from the anus : the act or process of defecating

To meet the clinical definition of IBS [irritable bowel syndrome], you must have had 12 weeks … of abdominal pain or discomfort within the past year, associated with relief with defecation and a change in the form or frequency of stool.

—Food and Fitness Advisor

2

: feces, excrement

At first it was believable because, as Gov. Mario Cuomo said at the outset, "She's covered with defecation, her hair is shorn … "

—Ellen Goodman

William Allen Livingston lost several ounces of urine and defecation when the fusillade of .38 caliber and .00 buckshot devastated him …

—Joseph Wambaugh

Examples of defecation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among them was a young white man in a suit who held up an Indian flag, imitated an Indian accent and extolled the virtues of public defecation. —Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026

But if there truly is an epidemic of canine defecation in your area, then the solution is not to turn up the rudeness volume, but to appeal to a system or organization that addresses public health or the care of public spaces. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026

The alternative is open defecation – finding a secluded place despite the personal risks and the potential health consequences of untreated human excrement. —Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 8 Mar. 2026

Worse, the other person in the elevator, who witnessed this impromptu canine defecation, was his boss. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for defecation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Medical Definition

defecation

noun

def·​e·​ca·​tion

variants or chiefly British defaecation

ˌdef-i-ˈkā-shən 

: discharge of feces