irradiation
Americannoun
-
the act of irradiating.
-
the state of being irradiated.
-
intellectual or spiritual enlightenment.
-
a ray of light; beam.
-
Optics. the apparent enlargement of an object when seen against a dark background.
-
the use of x-rays or other forms of radiation for the treatment of disease, the making of x-ray photographs, the manufacture of vitamin D, etc.
-
exposure or the process of exposure to x-rays or other radiation.
-
Physics. irradiance.
noun
-
the act or process of irradiating or the state of being irradiated
-
the apparent enlargement of a brightly lit object when it is viewed against a dark background
-
a shaft of light; beam or ray
-
med
-
the therapeutic or diagnostic use of radiation, esp X-rays
-
exposure of a patient to such radiation
-
-
another name for radiation irradiance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irradiation
First recorded in 1580–90, irradiation is from the Late Latin word irradiātiōn- (stem of irradiātiō ). See ir- 1, radiation
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.
He even visited a nuclear research facility in India to learn more about the irradiation process.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
In south India, there is exactly one irradiation center, in Bengaluru, creating a bottleneck every spring.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
The researchers also suggest that similar high-energy irradiation processes may explain how diamonds form naturally in meteorites or uranium-rich rocks.
From Science Daily • Oct. 29, 2025
Interestingly, the researchers found that strong red-light irradiation at 605-660 nm triggered a reddening reaction in E. gracilis when cultured in bonito stock.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2024
First direct irradiation of a patient, November 20, 1939.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
