respiration

noun

res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌre-spə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce respiration (audio)
1
a
: the movement of air or dissolved gases into and out of the lungs
b
: a single complete act of breathing
… the patient was cyanotic and unconscious with labored respirations at 40/min.Dorwyn W. Croom
2
: the physical and chemical processes (such as breathing and diffusion) by which an organism supplies its cells and tissues with the oxygen needed for metabolism and relieves them of the carbon dioxide formed in energy-producing reactions
3
respiratory adjective

Examples of respiration in a Sentence

The doctor checked his heartbeat and respiration.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Water is not only fundamental to all life but can also be a source of elemental oxygen for respiration and hydrogen for fuel and so can provide three of the four essential ingredients for terraformation. William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 Maximizing Your Overall Performance Our daily performance is influenced by exercise and factors such as sleep quality, heart rate variability, respiration rate and stress. Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 The device tracks electrocardiograms, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, non-invasive blood pressure, temperature, and respiration rate. Kevin Williams, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2025 That mouth action corresponds to its rate of respiration, which increases with stress levels. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for respiration

Word History

Etymology

Middle English respiracioun, from Latin respiration-, respiratio, from respirare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of respiration was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Respiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respiration. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

respiration

noun
res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌres-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce respiration (audio)
1
: the act or process of breathing
2
: the physical processes (as breathing and diffusion) by which a living thing obtains the oxygen it needs to produce energy and eliminate waste gases (as carbon dioxide)
3
: any of various chemical reactions (as oxidation) in cells that release energy from food molecules (as glucose)

Medical Definition

respiration

noun
res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌres-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce respiration (audio)
1
a
: the movement of respiratory gases (as oxygen and carbon dioxide) into and out of the lungs
b
: a single complete act of breathing
30 respirations per minute
2
: the physical and chemical processes (as breathing and diffusion) by which an organism supplies its cells and tissues with the oxygen needed for metabolism and relieves them of the carbon dioxide formed in energy-producing reactions
3

More from Merriam-Webster on respiration

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