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.
See Examples For:
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary directive ordering inspections on more than 450 US 737 MAX jets over potential faulty installation of passenger seats.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
If approved, the installation in St Sampson would see 72 ground-mounted panels on agricultural land which has had no previous permanent construction on it.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Opening Feb. 26 at LACMA, his new art installation celebrates 25 years of his beloved debut film, “Amores Perros.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Nevertheless, some of them come together to try to forestall the installation of the solar array.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Since its installation two years before, however, the parking meter had rarely collected dimes.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Kuwait, which like Bahrain hosts US military installations, also reported intercepting Iranian attacks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Prynoski says that was a centerpiece of his pitch to Meow Wolf, noting that characters will reappear in multiple installations, each handled by a different artist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The country accounted for 85 percent of the world's humanoid installations last year, according to Barclays bank.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
His staff are working seven days a week to fit in extra installations and surveys, visiting around five homes a day as inquiries pour in.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
In English, that meant: To all units: Japanese are booby-trapping personnel equipment, installations, and bivouacs.
From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac
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.
