What does ignition mean?
Ignition is the beginning of combustion: the moment when a fuel or fuel-air mixture catches fire and a process becomes capable of continuing under its own power. The word is especially common in automotive contexts, where “the ignition” means the mechanism that starts an engine and “engine ignition” means the process of igniting its fuel mixture. It can also describe a fire beginning, as in the ignition of highly flammable material, or figuratively the launch of an event, process, or movement. In technical writing, ignition is distinguished from combustion: ignition is the initial event, while combustion is the continuing chemical reaction. Although most people encounter the term through cars and machinery, its older figurative sense remains useful for describing the catalyst that sets something in motion. Ignition is thus both a precise scientific term and a vivid metaphor for beginnings.
nounThe process of catching fire or beginning to burn, especially the process by which an engine's fuel-air mixture is ignited. The word can also refer to the mechanism that starts an engine, or figuratively to the beginning or activation of a process.
- The process of starting combustion, especially in an internal-combustion engine.
- The mechanism or device that starts an engine.
- The act of catching fire or beginning to burn.
- The beginning or activation of a broader process.
"A failed ignition left the car stalled."
"The engineer checked the ignition before starting the generator."
"The spark marked the ignition of the fuel-air mixture."
"The ignition of the dry vegetation quickly spread beyond the road."
The plural is used for separate acts of ignition or for multiple starting events, as in engines that record each ignition.
"The technicians compared the ignition patterns recorded during the test runs."
From kindling a fire to firing an engine, ignition is the moment a process becomes self-sustaining.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ignition come from?
English “ignition” derives from Latin ignitio, meaning “a setting on fire,” which was formed from ignere, “to kindle or set on fire.” The Latin verb is related to ignis, “fire,” the source of several English words including ignite and igneous. The English noun came into use in the early modern period for the process of catching fire and later became especially associated with the starting of combustion engines.
How ignition is actually used
The term is standard in both everyday and technical contexts. In automotive use, “ignition” often denotes the entire starting system; in chemistry and fire-related contexts, it refers more precisely to combustion beginning. Its figurative use, meaning the initiation of an activity or process, is formal but established.
Easily confused with ignition
Ignition is a noun naming a process or starting mechanism, whereas ignite is a verb meaning to set something on fire or cause it to burn.