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

• air conditioner
  noun
• air-conditioning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of air conditioning

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

air conditioning

Across the French capital, where few homes have air conditioning, desperate locals had taped foil survival blankets over their windows, hoping to keep out the fierce sun.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

One example is Aspergillus niger, a fungus that commonly grows in warm, humid environments such as bathrooms and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

But Sudbrink has noticed that the temperatures this summer have pushed her to use the air conditioning more than she would like.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

U.S. natural gas futures settled higher, rising for a second week in a row thanks to hot summer weather driving electricity-sector use to meet air conditioning demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The sun-baked car didn’t have air conditioning and the back of my shirt turned into wet adhesive, binding clammy skin to black leatherette.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx