installation
Americannoun
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installations
plural
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something installed, as machinery or apparatus placed in position or connected for use.
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the act of installing.
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the fact of being installed.
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Military. any more or less permanent post, camp, station, base, or the like, for the support or carrying on of military activities.
noun
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the act of installing or the state of being installed
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a large device, system, or piece of equipment that has been installed
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a military establishment usually serving in a support role
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an art exhibit often involving video or moving parts where the relation of the parts to the whole is important to the interpretation of the piece
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of installation
First recorded in 1600–10, installation is from the Medieval Latin word installātiōn- (stem of installātiō ). See install, -ation
Explanation
Installation is the process of putting something in a position so it can work properly. If the installation of the new dishwasher goes badly, you'll end up with water all over the kitchen floor. Installation is frequently used for appliances and machinery, like the installation of a fountain in your yard or the installation of a fan in your attic to help the house stay cool. You can also use it for people being set up in new positions or jobs: "The installation of a new president has been positive for the university." When artists talk about installations, they mean semi-permanent art exhibits: "The video installation in the museum's elevator is very innovative."
Vocabulary lists containing installation
On a Pedestal: Marble-ous Words for Sculpture
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Shipwrecked!
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Selection Vocabulary 4, Unit 4
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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:
For 26 buildings, the Journal corroborated the damage with a statement from Iranian state-affiliated media of a strike on that installation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Many were destined for the large installation McGee’s friends helped to assemble for “Another Round,” his recently opened exhibition, which runs through Jan. 30.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Investors need the return on the whole installation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
The success of solar power, particularly the installation of photovoltaic panels on homes and businesses, has created sharp fluctuations in electricity supply, which often exceeds demand during daylight hours.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
The installation of exhibits and company pavilions within the Electricity Building was woefully behind schedule.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
In all, the Journal found 274 structures at 24 installations across seven countries that showed damage during the war’s first six months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
The Gulf installations neighboring Iran that had borne the brunt of earlier strikes now only saw sporadic damage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
The Wall Street Journal identified 274 damaged structures at 24 installations with a U.S. military presence across the Middle East during the war’s first six months—the most comprehensive public accounting of that damage to date.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Despite its proximity to one of Ecuador's most strategic military installations, the town lacks access to drinking water.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Side-scan sonar has been widely used to detect obstructions on the ocean floor that might be hazardous to shipping or to seabed installations by the gas and oil industries.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
