olfaction

noun

ol·​fac·​tion äl-ˈfak-shən  ōl- 

1

: the sense of smell

2

: the act or process of smelling

Examples of olfaction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Brain Makes Scents Fossil evidence shows that some 500 million years ago, the earliest vertebrates had already evolved specialized brain regions dedicated to olfaction. —Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 3 July 2025

These odor receptors are the first-line sensors that detect odors in our environment, explains Dennis Mathew, a neuroscientist at the University of Nevada, Reno, who studies olfaction at the cellular and molecular levels. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 27 June 2025

Ultimately, the results improve our understanding of social olfaction, offering new insights into the impact of smell on our relationships. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025

But olfaction is particularly intriguing in its dual role as both an asset and vulnerability. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for olfaction

• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction
• inaction
• infraction

Kids Definition

olfaction

noun

ol·​fac·​tion äl-ˈfak-shən 

ōl-

: the sense of smell

also : the act or process of smelling

Medical Definition

olfaction

noun

ol·​fac·​tion äl-ˈfak-shən  ōl- 

1

: the sense of smell

2

: the act or process of smelling