flatulence

American  

[flach-uh-luhns] / ˈflætʃ ə ləns /

Sometimes flatulency

noun

flatulences plural

1. the condition of having an accumulation of gas in the alimentary canal.

   To avoid the uncomfortable feeling of flatulence, increase your fiber intake gradually.

2. the expulsion of alimentary gas through the anus.

   Symptoms include abdominal discomfort, flatulence, and headache.

3. inflated and empty speech or writing; unsupported pretension; pomposity.

   His lectures, noted for their flatulence, were popular fodder for mocking.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flatulences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of flatulence

First recorded in 1700–10; from French ; flatul(ent) ( def. ) + -ence ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flatulence

When the cave floods, the rising and falling of the water sucks through air and makes a sound uncannily similar to flatulence.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

The study will use Smart Underwear to measure flatulence patterns continuously in hundreds of participants while also analyzing their diets and gut microbiome composition.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2026

Despite the prevalence of digestive-health issues, flatulence researchers have been limited to either invasive laboratory studies or self-reporting, which has proven unreliable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

Dissenting in Massachusetts, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that from the court’s reasoning, “it follows that everything airborne, from Frisbees to flatulence, qualifies as an ‘air pollutant.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026

Muhammad grabs my camera and keeps it away from me, via his typical flatulence threats, while he scrolls through my pictures.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali