installation
Americannoun
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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.
The result is uncommon room layouts like the tri-suite king room equipped with two twin-sized beds and a king bed split by a privacy divider that doubles as a playful art installation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
But since its installation, the coating has begun to peel off and algae has turned the water green -- a persistent problem over the years.
From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026
Among those to receive awards are artists Amy and Emma-Jo Bairstow, whose project Vespertine Garden will create an immersive installation of UV-lit sculptural plants and creatures at the South Square Centre in Thornton.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
It was in December, and so the building was in several stages of installation with the art.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
Eventually, CIA analysts discovered that the trench connected the Soviet Ministry of Defense with a closely guarded installation on the outskirts of the city: the Krasnaya Pakhra Nuclear Weapons Research Institute.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
