noun
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the act or process of initiating combustion
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the process of igniting the fuel in an internal-combustion engine
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the devices used to ignite the fuel in an internal-combustion engine
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ignition
1605–15; Medieval Latin ignītiōn- (stem of ignītiō ) a setting on fire. See ignite, -ion
Explanation
An ignition is the firing up of something, usually an engine. Without ignition, your vehicle isn't going anywhere. You know how igniting is setting something on fire? That should help you remember that ignition means something is catching fire, like the gadget that ignites the fuel in an internal-combustion engine. Turning the key in a car causes ignition: now the car has started. If the car's battery is dead or there's no gas, ignition isn't possible, and the car won't start. To remember what ignition is, just say the catchphrase of the Human Torch: "Flame on!"
Vocabulary lists containing ignition
Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
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Elements of the Universe: Ign, Igni ("Fire")
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Long-Awaited Words from Harper Lee's "Go Set a Watchman"
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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 residues are sorted, ground and mixed with a maceration of gum arabic to facilitate ignition, and with clay to slow combustion.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Among the tricks they are suggesting: reducing the number of times the ignition is turned on or off, avoiding traffic, working in specific neighborhoods and at times with high demand and switching to electric vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026
Each person had a specific task, from hand-carrying the ignition devices into the EU, to supplying cars.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
Both leukotrienes and pseudo leukotrienes trigger inflammation by binding to the same receptor, much like a key turning an ignition to start an engine.
From Science Daily • Jan. 27, 2026
He didn’t even turn the ignition off—the engine was still gasping as we pried up the side panel of the bonnet with the tin opener on Etienne’s Swiss knife.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
