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

That’s the upshot of a recent study aimed at revealing how the genetics of human olfaction has changed over the past few millennia. — Willow Zhang, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026

But Parma, who’s spent her career studying olfaction, has a stress reaction to it. — Angela Haupt, Time, 7 Apr. 2026

Unlike vision or hearing, olfaction depends on fragile neural pathways that connect directly to brain regions involved in emotion and memory. — New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026

That suppression gained momentum in the 19th century; both Darwin and Freud argued that olfaction was the lowest sense, left over from our time as beasts that walked on all fours, nose to the ground. — Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 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