ventilator

American  

[ven-tl-ey-ter] / ˈvɛn tlˌeɪ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that ventilates.

2. a contrivance or opening for replacing foul or stagnant air with fresh air.

3. Medicine/Medical. an apparatus to produce artificial respiration, moving air into and out of a patient’s lungs.

   The patient presented with signs of respiratory failure and was placed immediately on a ventilator.

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ventilator British  

/ ˈvɛntɪˌleɪtə /

noun

1. an opening or device, such as a fan, used to ventilate a room, building, etc

2. med a machine that maintains a flow of air into and out of the lungs of a patient who is unable to breathe normally

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Etymology

Origin of ventilator

First recorded in 1735–45; ventilat(e) + -or ²

Compare meaning

How does ventilator compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ventilator vs. respirator

Explanation

A ventilator is a machine that brings in good air that's safe to breathe and keeps bad air out. A kitchen ventilator uses fans and filters to direct greasy stove exhaust outside. There are architectural ventilators, for keeping the air inside buildings clean, and also medical ventilators, which work to keep breathable air moving in and out of a patient's lungs. This kind of ventilator is only used when someone is unable to breathe effectively on their own. In both cases, ventilators are all about air. The word comes from the Latin root ventulus, "a breeze."

Example Sentences

Those with severe breathing difficulties might need to be placed on a ventilator.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Garfield went on to spend 64 days — 31 of them on a ventilator — fighting to recover from COVID-19 at Providence St. John’s Hospital, where he was known as “Patient Zero.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Li, who suffers from a genetic degenerative condition that progressively weakens muscles, relies on a ventilator permanently connected to his windpipe to breathe, but grows celery with the help of his 62-year-old mother.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

I have to use a ventilator overnight, when my breathing is more shallow than during the day.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

I ask about this onion, which may mean something religious for all I know, but Grace says it’s a ventilator.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• fireplace
• flue
• furnace
• hearth
• pipe
• stack
• vent