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.
Exposure to particulate matter has been connected to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses as well as neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Mold has been linked with exacerbating asthma and other respiratory issues, medical researchers say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Typically, those ailments — think flu and respiratory syncytial virus — spike in the winter, and aren’t really seen outside of that season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The extreme heat has caused people to fall ill with dehydration and heatstroke, and has increased the risk of complications for those with heart, kidney and respiratory problems.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
“She’s in with the respiratory therapists right now. They’re running tests to see how her lungs are functioning and whether she can be weaned off the ventilator.”
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
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.
