Air Quality Index
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The index is used by weather forecasters to indicate the purity of the air on a given day. The higher the index, the smoggier (see smog) and more polluted the air.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Under a heat dome, those pollutants can linger longer, leading to elevated Air Quality Index, or AQI, readings that may pose additional risks for people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
The Air Quality Index peaked at 208, levels more commonly associated with South Asian cities.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
On Wednesday, we had a rare afternoon where the Air Quality Index was below 100.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2026
It uses the government's Daily Air Quality Index to determine when alerts are triggered.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2025
For those who wish to view the Air Quality Index forecast, or for real-time air quality updates, visit AQMD.gov.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
