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

In the United States today, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, or ASHRAE, sets widely used indoor air quality standards and specifies minimum ventilation rates.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2023

To ensure the heater works properly, Francis Dietz of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute said, keep an adequate amount of space free around it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2023

The monitoring work in papers like this is “critical,” says Helen Walter-Terrinoni, a member of the Montreal Protocol’s technical panel and a chemical engineer with the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, which represents major manufacturers.

From Science Magazine • May 1, 2022

The HFC provision was supported by an unusual coalition that included major environmental and business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, American Chemistry Council and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2021

Stephen Yurek, head of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, which represents makers of heating and cooling equipment, said his trade group’s members “appreciate the expediency” with which the EPA issued the rule.

From Washington Post • May 3, 2021