ventilation
Americannoun
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the act of ventilating.
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the state of being ventilated.
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facilities or equipment for providing ventilation.
noun
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the act or process of ventilating or the state of being ventilated
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an installation in a building that provides a supply of fresh air
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonventilationnoun
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overventilationnoun
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reventilationnoun
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underventilationnoun
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ventilativeadjective
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ventilatoryadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ventilation
1425–75; late Middle English ventilacioun < Latin ventilātiōn- (stem of ventilātiō ), equivalent to ventilāt ( us ) ( see ventilate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Ventilation is when you let fresh air into a place, or air a room out. If you've ever been in a stuffy, hot room and said, "Someone open a window!" you know what it meas to need ventilation. Ventilation airs out an indoor space by letting fresh air in and stale or smelly air out, and it's more effective if you open several windows on opposite sides of the house or building. A fan in the window can also aid ventilation. The root word is the Latin ventulus, "a breeze," which comes from ventus, "wind."
Vocabulary lists containing ventilation
Holes
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Ventus and Venire
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 12–March 18, 2022
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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.
See Examples For:
It’s not clear where the ventilation shafts are at Pickaxe or if they lead into the heart of the site.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
A spokesman for the MTA says it complies with regulations related to air quality, ventilation and workplace safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The breakthrough came after Maestro airflow sensors were installed on the 2000 Level as part of an automated ventilation control system.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
Workers in underground tunnels and shafts depend on reliable ventilation to survive and work safely.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
They taped sheets of plastic over the exterior openings of the ventilation system.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
However, many responders are falling short of that goal, showing effective lung ventilations as few as two over 10 minutes, with potentially serious consequences, according to the study.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2023
Firefighters brought patients down to the ground floor, “assisting ventilations as required, for transport,” the department said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
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.
