cardiovascular
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of cardiovascular
Explanation
Use the adjective cardiovascular when you're talking about the circulatory system in general or the heart specifically. Cardiovascular exercise gets your blood pumping and is good for your heart. Cardio- means "heart," from the Greek kardia, and vascular refers to blood circulation, from a Latin root meaning "vessels or tubes." So anything cardiovascular is related to the heart muscle and the blood it pumps through arteries, veins, and capillaries. Cardiovascular diseases affect the structure of the heart itself or the vessels that help it move blood through the body. Things like not smoking and regularly moving your body can help you keep your cardiovascular system healthy.
Vocabulary lists containing cardiovascular
Body Language: Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart")
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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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.
The burning of coal is one of the largest drivers of air pollution, releasing fine particles known to be harmful to respiratory and cardiovascular health.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
The results add to a body of scientific evidence linking diets high in ultraprocessed foods to health problems including obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Peter R. Kowey is a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the William Wikoff Smith chair of cardiovascular research.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
The risk of dying from cardiovascular disease – a heart attack or stroke for example – was 19% lower.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Blood was pooling in my lower body because my cardiovascular system had forgotten what it was like to pump blood “uphill,” there being neither “up” nor “down” in space.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
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.
