ventilator
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that ventilates.
-
a contrivance or opening for replacing foul or stagnant air with fresh air.
-
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.
noun
-
an opening or device, such as a fan, used to ventilate a room, building, etc
-
med a machine that maintains a flow of air into and out of the lungs of a patient who is unable to breathe normally
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:
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."
Vocabulary lists containing ventilator
Novel Study: Fahrenheit 451, Part I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ventus and Venire
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Novel Study: A Night to Remember, Chapter 6–Passenger List
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
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
Emily Walls, 18, developed septicaemia and was on a ventilator after getting chickenpox more than 15 years ago.
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026
They may require oxygen or intravenous fluid or even be put on a ventilator to help them breathe, according to the CDC.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025
I followed behind the Strauss contingent up to the second floor as they tried to discover where the ventilator led to.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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.
