compression
noun
com·pres·sion
kəm-ˈpre-shən 
1
a
: the act, process, or result of compressing
b
: the state of being compressed
2
: the process of compressing the fuel mixture in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine (as in an automobile)
3
: the compressed remains of a fossil plant
4
: conversion (as of data, a data file, or a communications signal) in order to reduce the space occupied or bandwidth required
Examples of compression in a Sentence
the compression of a long, complicated story into a two-hour movie is never easy
Recent Examples on the Web
Secure Sculpt: Powerful and supportive with secure extra-firm compression and body-sculpting performance.
—
Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 27 Feb. 2025
Pike gave their baby chest compressions and called 911, Holder said.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2025
The solution wasn’t to pursue flawless, lossless compression but to find a balance between quality and file size.
—Victor Shilo, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
That feeling of compression and expansion will always stay with me.
—The Editors Of Ad, Architectural Digest, 7 Feb. 2025
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Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 27 Feb. 2025
Pike gave their baby chest compressions and called 911, Holder said.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2025
The solution wasn’t to pursue flawless, lossless compression but to find a balance between quality and file size.
—Victor Shilo, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
That feeling of compression and expansion will always stay with me.
—The Editors Of Ad, Architectural Digest, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compression
Cite this Entry
“Compression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compression. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
compression
noun
com·pres·sion
kəm-ˈpresh-ən
1
: the act, process, or result of compressing : the state of being compressed
2
: the process of compressing the fuel mixture in the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine
Medical Definition
compression
noun
com·pres·sion
kəm-ˈpresh-ən
: the act, process, or result of compressing especially when involving a compressing force on a bodily part
compression of an artery by forceps
compression of the brain by the bones of a depressed fracture
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