ventilation

noun ven·ti·la·tion \ ˌven-tə-ˈlā-shən \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Definition of ventilation

1 : the act or process of ventilating

2 a : circulation of air

a room with good ventilation

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

3 : a system or means of providing fresh air

See ventilation defined for kids

Recent Examples of ventilation from the Web

The building was emitting black smoke from the ventilation system in the rear of the building, but visibility was good in the grocery aisles.

— mike hendricks, kansascity, "In a tragic loop, firefighters continue to die from preventable mistakes," 13 July 2018
Proper ventilation is necessary to allow for air movement to control indoor humidity and greatly reduce airborne contaminants, which can be very unhealthy.

— dan marshall, Houston Chronicle, "GHBA Remodelers Council: Use smart remodeling for healthy home," 19 Jan. 2018
There’s also talk in the story about how ventilation will be an issue.

— lara sorokanich, Popular Mechanics, "Hey Scott Kelly, Shall We Move to Another Planet?," 5 Jan. 2018
Padded straps help too, and so does built-in ventilation: look for air channels between the padding and mesh on the straps and back panel (all help alleviate sweat buildup).

— kelly bastone, Outside Online, "The Best Women’s Backpacking Packs," 13 July 2018
Deep pleats, the shorts’ signature detail, encourage airflow and ventilation by pulling the fabric away from your body.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "This Summer, Dress Like Hemingway on His Boat," 10 July 2018
The entry hall glistens, with natural ventilation and 32-foot-tall walls of glass.

— john king, SFChronicle.com, "S.F.’s long-awaited Salesforce Transit Center sets opening date for Aug. 12," 10 July 2018
With some ventilation but no air conditioning, the cars regularly get hotter than 100 degrees during races, but it was estimated that the inside of the cars were hitting 140-150 degrees in the Overton’s 400.

— michelle r. martinelli, For The Win, "NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace kept quoting Nelly song to complain about 140-degree heat," 5 July 2018
Also planned are repairs to the air shafts and ventilation building.

— jaimy jones, Houston Chronicle, "Repair closures planned for Washburn Tunnel," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ventilation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ventilation

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1519

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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VENTILATION Defined for Kids

ventilation

noun ven·ti·la·tion \ ˌven-tə-ˈlā-shən \

Definition of ventilation for Students

1 : the act or process of ventilating

2 : a system or means of providing fresh air

Medical Dictionary

ventilation

noun ven·ti·la·tion \ ˌvent-ᵊl-ˈā-shən \

medical Definition of ventilation

1 : the act or process of ventilating

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

Learn More about ventilation

See words that rhyme with ventilation Spanish Central: Translation of ventilation Nglish: Translation of ventilation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ventilation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ventilation

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ventilation

Definition of ventilation

Recent Examples of ventilation from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ventilation

VENTILATION Defined for Kids

ventilation

Definition of ventilation for Students

Medical Dictionary

ventilation

medical Definition of ventilation

Learn More about ventilation

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ventilation

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ventilation

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