combustion

American  

[kuhm-buhs-chuhn] / kəmˈbʌs tʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of burning.

2. Chemistry.

   1. rapid oxidation accompanied by heat and, usually, light.

   2. chemical combination attended by production of heat and light.

   3. slow oxidation not accompanied by high temperature and light.

3. violent excitement; tumult.

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combustion British  

/ kəmˈbʌstʃən /

noun

1. the process of burning

2. any process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to produce a significant rise in temperature and the emission of light

3. a chemical process in which two compounds, such as sodium and chlorine, react together to produce heat and light

4. a process in which a compound reacts slowly with oxygen to produce little heat and no light

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combustion Scientific  

/ kəm-bŭs′chən /

1. The process of burning.

2. A chemical change, especially through the rapid combination of a substance with oxygen, producing heat and, usually, light.

3. See also spontaneous combustion

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combustion Cultural  

1. Burning; a chemical reaction that involves the rapid combination of a fuel with oxygen. (See oxidation and spontaneous combustion.)

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Other Word Forms

• combustive adjective
• noncombustion noun
• noncombustive adjective
• precombustion noun
• self-combustion noun
• uncombustive adjective

Etymology

Origin of combustion

1400–50; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Late Latin combūstiōn- (stem of combūstiō ). See combust, -ion

Explanation

Combustion means "the act of burning," like the combustion of fallen leaves that, if not extinguished immediately, can result in a forest fire. Combustion derives from the Latin word comburere, which means "to burn up." Matches, kindling, paper, and lighter fluid can be tools for combustion. In chemistry terms, combustion is any process in which a substance combines with oxygen to produce heat and light. Cars run because their engines use combustion to get the cylinders to fire.

Example Sentences

“This effectively closes the gap with ICE vehicles,” Bernstein analysts wrote in a note, referring to cars equipped with internal combustion engines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Meanwhile, Renault has teamed up with Geely for internal combustion and hybrid engines.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

A solution would be to change the ratio so it was more in favour of the internal combustion engine, by increasing the fuel-flow rate.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The other big perk: There’s no combustion engine to stop and then start back up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

A terrific drone of an internal combustion engine started up.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

Related Words

• ignition