conditioner

American  

[kuhn-dish-uh-ner] / kənˈdɪʃ ə nər /

noun

• conditioners
  plural

1. a person or thing that conditions.

2. something added to a substance to increase its usability, as a water softener.

3. a cream or liquid preparation applied to the hair or skin, especially for its emollient qualities.

4. a trainer of athletes.

5. an air conditioner.

6. Textiles. a person who conditions fibers or fabrics.

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conditioner British  

/ kənˈdɪʃənə /

noun

1. a person or thing that conditions

2. a substance, esp a cosmetic, applied to something to improve its condition

   hair conditioner

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• conditioners
  plural

Etymology

Origin of conditioner

First recorded in 1590–1600; condition + -er ¹

Explanation

The job of a conditioner is to make something soft. If you use conditioner after you shampoo your hair, it will feel smoother and softer. Hair conditioner is just one kind of conditioner — you might also treat your laundry with conditioner, softening your clothes, or your water with a conditioner that improves its quality. Another kind of conditioner is one that gets you physically into condition, or fitness. This might be an exercise or a teacher or trainer who instructs you in doing the exercise. Conditioner comes from the Old French condicion, "state or behavior," from the Latin condicionem, "situation."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conditioner conditioners

Preliminary investigations by Bangkok's disaster mitigation department suggest the fire could have been caused by an electrical short circuit in an air conditioner, though no official cause has been given.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Clad in pink and purple and wielding a pink power drill, Liu Xingyun, founder of Shero, deftly took an air conditioner to bits when AFP accompanied her on a recent home visit.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Your only remaining responsibility is to slice a lime for the bowl — and perhaps one for the drink you’ll carry back to the couch, where the air conditioner is already hard at work.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

In Geneva, the installation of an air conditioner is subject to strict energy-usage rules.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

“Should we move? Get a condo somewhere? Have electricity and heat and a washing machine and one of those air conditioner things?”

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

On Wednesday, Japan's defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the delivery of 300 air conditioners to Kumamoto, with 150 of the units bound for evacuation centres.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

"We are urging people to stay hydrated and use air conditioners," a fire brigade spokesman told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

As whole house fans and swamp coolers can suck additional pollutants inside, the department recommends using air purifiers or air conditioners as alternatives when possible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

"I am not opening the store unless you leave," a manager shouted, as customers harangued her, with another member of staff telling AFP only two air conditioners had been delivered.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

“Sears has those big air conditioners that can cool a whole house,” I said.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie