air conditioning

American  

[air kuhn-dish-uh-ning] / ˈɛər kənˈdɪʃ ə nɪŋ /

noun

1. a system or process for controlling the temperature, humidity, and sometimes the purity of the air in an interior, as of an office, theater, laboratory, or house, especially one capable of cooling.

2. an air-conditioning system or unit.

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air conditioning British  

noun

1. a system or process for controlling the temperature and sometimes the humidity and purity of the air in a house, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• air conditioner
  noun
• air-conditioning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of air conditioning

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Their analysis points to HFO-1234yf, a refrigerant commonly used in vehicle air conditioning systems, as an increasingly important contributor.

From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026

Low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes already struggle to afford their bills and air conditioning is a must, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

And finally, they’ll examine why the UK and Europe are still so resistant to air conditioning despite being plagued by deadly heatwaves.

From Slate • May 30, 2026

To protect worshippers from the extreme heat, authorities rely on one of the most powerful air conditioning systems in the world to cool the Grand Mosque's courtyards, according to Saudi state television.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Travis felt cold in the air conditioning in his sweat-sodden T-shirt.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner