respiratory
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of respiratory
1780–90; < Late Latin respīrātōrius, equivalent to Latin respīrā ( re ) to respire + -tōrius -tory 1
Explanation
The word respiratory is an adjective describing anything related to respiration: how we breathe. In addition to the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems, the body has a respiratory system: this is how we get and use oxygen, which we need to survive. The respiratory system also expels carbon dioxide, which we don’t use. The main respiratory organs are the lungs. Asthma and bronchitis are respiratory diseases, because they make breathing difficult. When you see the word respiratory, just take a deep breath and you’ll remember the meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing respiratory
Freak the Mighty
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Life Science: Human Systems
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This Week In Words: February 22–28, 2020
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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.
Inhaling MMA can irritate the lungs and, at high levels of exposure, can cause severe respiratory distress and hospitalization; long-term exposure has been linked to serious organ damage.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Between January last year and May this year, the NT reported 163 diphtheria cases with 48 respiratory cases and 115 cutaneous cases, which is spread via skin contact.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
These bacteria can cause upper respiratory illness and had never before been reported in wild snakes in the United States.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
Exposure can also create chronic respiratory issues, according to the EPA.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
The normal cells, suffering respiratory damage for the first time, are not killed but are set on the path that may eventually lead to malignancy.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
