conditioner
Americannoun
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a person or thing that conditions.
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something added to a substance to increase its usability, as a water softener.
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a cream or liquid preparation applied to the hair or skin, especially for its emollient qualities.
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a trainer of athletes.
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an air conditioner.
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Textiles. a person who conditions fibers or fabrics.
noun
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a person or thing that conditions
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a substance, esp a cosmetic, applied to something to improve its condition
hair conditioner
Etymology
Origin of conditioner
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Grolite, a high-performance mineral soil conditioner, is being brought in from the Netherlands to keep the grass healthy and the original irrigation system is being reactivated.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Other fuel-saving measures, such as setting air conditioner temperatures in public offices at a higher than usual 26°C, were announced by Thailand's energy minister on Tuesday.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
Instead, it may respond unevenly, as if the thermostat were not positioned close to the air conditioner.
From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025
Recent notables include the redesigned Palisade—styling by Gillette—and the Lexus TX500, with a face like the last glimpse of an old air conditioner disappearing into the crusher.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
Even with my air conditioner on full blast, I could already tell that I was sweating through my wrap dress.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
