pulmonary
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the lungs.
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of the nature of a lung; lunglike.
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affecting the lungs.
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having lungs or lunglike organs.
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pertaining to or affected with disease of the lungs.
adjective
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of, or relating to or affecting the lungs
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having lungs or lunglike organs
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pulmonary
1650–60; < Latin pulmōnārius of the lungs, equivalent to pulmōn- (stem of pulmō lung; akin to Greek pleúmōn, later pneúmōn lung; cf. pneuma) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
Pulmonary means of or relating to the lungs. A pulmonary specialist is a doctor who treats lung problems. Once you know that pulmonary means "relating to the lungs," you know pretty much all there is to know. It will give you a lot more insight into whatever doctor's visits are coming up, because you will know that your pulmonologist is your lung doctor, your pulmonary artery is the one carrying blood to your lungs, and if you have a problem with pulmonary circulation, it means that you aren’t getting enough blood to your...you guessed it, lungs.
Vocabulary lists containing pulmonary
Courage to Soar
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Counting by 7s
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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.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the department said it did not note a substantial increase in asthma, acute respiratory symptoms or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related emergency department visits during the fire.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
Prior to publication, the White House, the FDA, and the Department of Health and Human Services all wouldn’t answer directly whether this applicant with “refractory obesity with obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension” was Trump.
From Slate • Jun. 27, 2026
AI drug-discovery firm InSilico 3696 -15.82%decrease; red down pointing triangle has been developing treatments for cancer, Parkinson’s and pulmonary fibrosis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
If approved, the drug would compete with Dupixent, an IL-4 and IL-13 inhibitor that is used to treat numerous inflammatory conditions like atopic dermatitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 20, 2026
I experience so many different health conditions— rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, dry mouth, pulmonary shock, muscle spasm—that it is impossible for me to even chronicle the degree of body breakdown.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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.
