distillation

noun

dis·​til·​la·​tion ˌdi-stə-ˈlā-shən 

1

a

: the process of purifying a liquid by successive evaporation and condensation

b

: a process like distillation

gradual distillation of the truth

also : an instance of such distilling

2

: something distilled : distillate sense 2

Examples of distillation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Companies that rely on distillation — the process of using datasets generated by larger AI models from frontier labs like Anthropic and OpenAI — is a shortcut that often leads to a dead end, Suleyman said. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 May 2026

Like whiskey, the base ingredient is mashed and then fermented with yeast before distillation either on a pot or column still. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 May 2026

Tours at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort cover grain selection, fermentation, distillation, aging and bottling, and walk visitors through historic rickhouses and barrel warehouses. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026

But these massive facilities, which use standard methods such as reverse osmosis and thermal distillation, are dirty. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing distillation

• destructive distillation

Rhymes for distillation

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

Kids Definition

distillation

noun

dis·​til·​la·​tion ˌdis-tə-ˈlā-shən 

: a process of heating a liquid or solid until it sends off a vapor and then cooling the vapor until it becomes liquid

Medical Definition

distillation

noun

dis·​til·​la·​tion ˌdis-tə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: a process that consists of driving gas or vapor from liquids or solids by heating and condensing to liquid products and that is used especially for purification, fractionation, or the formation of new substances

2

: something distilled