What does inhalation mean?
Inhalation is the formal word for breathing in. It denotes the movement of air into the lungs during breathing, but it is also used in medicine, toxicology, and industrial safety to describe taking in gases, vapours, dust, smoke, or other airborne substances. Phrases such as “inhalation of toxic fumes” and “inhalation injury” emphasize the potentially harmful effects of breathing in a substance, while references to medication by inhalation indicate that it is delivered through the lungs. In ordinary conversation, people usually say “breathing in” rather than “inhalation.” The word is useful in technical and public-safety contexts because it clearly identifies both the physical act and, by extension, exposure to an airborne substance. It should not be confused with exhalation, which refers to breathing out.
nounThe act of drawing air, gas, vapour, or another substance into the lungs. In medical and industrial contexts, it can also refer to the process of administering or taking in a substance through breathing.
- The process of drawing air or another substance into the lungs.
- The administration of a gaseous, vaporous, or finely divided substance by breathing it into the lungs.
"The workers were warned to avoid inhalation of toxic fumes."
"Deep inhalation helped her steady herself before the presentation."
"The medicine is administered by inhalation under medical supervision."
Plural form is uncommon in ordinary use but can refer to separate acts of breathing in or to multiple instances of substance intake.
"The workers recorded three inhalations of toxic vapour before leaving the enclosure."
Inhalation comes from Latin inhalare, literally “to breathe into,” making the inward direction of the breath unusually clear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inhalation come from?
Inhalation derives from Latin inhalare, formed from in- (“in” or “into”) and halare (“to breathe”), with the Latin noun inhalatio referring to breathing in. The word entered English through Latinate and French-derived vocabulary and has close cognates in French and other Romance languages. Its related English derivatives include inhale, inhalant, and inhaler.
Related word forms
How inhalation is actually used
The term is formal and especially common in medical, scientific, safety, and industrial contexts. In everyday speech, “breathing in” is usually more natural.
Easily confused with inhalation
Inhalation is the act of breathing in, whereas exhalation is the act of breathing out.