ingestion
noun
in·ges·tion
in-ˈjes-chən 
-ˈjesh-
: the act or process of taking in something for or as if for digestion : the act or process of ingesting something
A Cochrane review showed that ingestion of cranberry products may decrease the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections in women …—
Giovanni Montini et al.
Giovanni Montini et al.Celiac disease is the immune-mediated response to ingestion of gluten from wheat, rye and barley that damages the small intestine.—Valerie Putnam
Valerie PutnamAfter two years of almost manic ingestion of book after book—Montaigne, Milton, Seneca, Dante—he began to write Moby-Dick.—Andrew Delbanco
Andrew DelbancoExamples of ingestion in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maro says a better way to think about the chimpanzees’ alcohol ingestion is to compare it to sharing a bottle of wine with friends over a meal.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 25 Feb. 2026
The central concern of his work has consistently been ingestion—what crosses the threshold between the world and the self.
—Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Consciousness as a subject was inspired by the ingestion of psilocybin.
—Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
If a bird tries to remove the substance by preening, ingestion of the substance can poison them or cause severe damage to internal organs.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ingestion
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 25 Feb. 2026
The central concern of his work has consistently been ingestion—what crosses the threshold between the world and the self.
—Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Consciousness as a subject was inspired by the ingestion of psilocybin.
—Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
If a bird tries to remove the substance by preening, ingestion of the substance can poison them or cause severe damage to internal organs.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ingestion
Cite this Entry
“Ingestion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ingestion. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
ingestion
noun
in·ges·tion
in-ˈjes(h)-chən
: the taking of material (as food) into the digestive system
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
