What does respiration mean?
Respiration is the formal or technical term for breathing and the associated exchange of gases between a living organism and its surroundings. In everyday medical contexts, it refers to the movement of air into and out of the lungs, while in physiology it can describe the broader movement of oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out of it. The related biological term cellular respiration has a more specific meaning: the series of chemical reactions that releases usable energy from food. Although the word is less common in ordinary conversation than breathing, it is important in medicine, biology and environmental science. Its history is especially memorable because respiration shares a Latin root with inspiration, aspiration and conspiracy; spirare originally meant “to breathe.”
nounThe process of breathing, especially the repeated exchange of gases between an organism and the environment. In biology, the term can also refer more broadly to the uptake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide by living tissues.
- The act or process of breathing.
- The physiological process by which an organism exchanges gases with its environment, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide.
"Her breathing gradually returned to a normal rate after the rescue team arrived."
"The monitor measured the patient’s respiration and heart rate."
"Plant respiration continues even when photosynthesis is limited by darkness."
Usually uncountable in general use; the plural is occasional and may occur in technical or biological contexts.
"The experiment measured changes in the organisms’ respirations under different conditions."
Respiration shares a root with inspiration, aspiration and conspiracy: all trace back to the Latin verb spirare, meaning “to breathe.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does respiration come from?
Respiration comes through French from Latin respiratio, a noun formed from spirare, “to breathe.” The Latin root also underlies inspire, aspire, conspire and expire, although their modern meanings have developed in different directions. In English, respiration has been used for centuries in both medical and general senses associated with breathing.
Related word forms
How respiration is actually used
The word is formal and somewhat technical. In general contexts, “breathing” is usually more natural; in biology, “respiration” is commonly distinguished from cellular respiration, the biochemical process that releases energy from nutrients.