ventilation

noun

ven·​ti·​la·​tion ˌven-tə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the act or process of ventilating

2

a

: circulation of air

a room with good ventilation

b(1)

: the circulation and exchange of gases in the lungs or gills that is basic to respiration

(2)

: artificial respiration of the lungs

specifically : mechanical ventilation

ventilation to supply oxygen to the patient's lungs

3

: a system or means of providing fresh air

Examples of ventilation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

School engineers, who operate the heating ventilation plants, maintain equipment and oversee building operations staff, make a salary of up to about $96,559. —Chesnie Wardell, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Other men housed in a lower-security section told the Statesman the space is often littered with trash and bodily fluids, claiming the facility’s ventilation system hasn’t been cleaned in decades. —Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2025

Open jobs include senior tunnel engineers who will plan geotechnical investigations along the unspecified tunnel path, welders who will physically build the tunnel and ventilation engineers who will design systems for fresh air supply and exhaust removal. —Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 1 Aug. 2025

There are also possible health risks when running underground, primarily due to the reduced ventilation, and a subsequent buildup of pollutants like particulate matter in the air, which can be hard on the lungs. —Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 29 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin ventilātiōn-, ventilātiō, from ventilāre "to expose to the air, ventilate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ventilation

• artificial ventilation
• mechanical ventilation

Rhymes for ventilation

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

Kids Definition

ventilation

noun

ven·​ti·​la·​tion ˌvent-ᵊl-ˈā-shən 

1

: the act or process of ventilating

2

: circulation of air

a room with good ventilation

3

: a system or means of providing fresh air

Medical Definition

ventilation

noun

ven·​ti·​la·​tion ˌvent-ᵊl-ˈā-shən 

1

: the circulation and exchange of gases in the lungs or gills that is basic to respiration

2

: artificial respiration of the lungs

specifically : mechanical ventilation

began ventilation to supply oxygen to the patient's lungs

3

: the circulation of air through a space and especially an enclosed space