respiration
5 synonyms for respiration, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The act of breathing — taking air into the lungs and releasing it.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
internal respiration
cellular respiration
external respiration
How to use respiration
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
rate of respiration
cellular respiration
labored respiration
Etymology
From Latin respiratio, "a breathing," from respirare, "to breathe again."
Full origin of respiration →Frequently asked questions
What does “respiration” mean?
The word “respiration” means the act of breathing — taking air into the lungs and releasing it. In plain terms, breathing — or, in biology class, the chemical process cells use to get energy from food.
How do you pronounce “respiration”?
“Respiration” is pronounced rehs-pih-RAY-shuhn (/ɹɛspɪˈɹeɪʃən/ in IPA).
How do you use “respiration” in a sentence?
Here is “respiration” used in a sentence: “The nurse monitored the patient's respiration throughout the night.”
What part of speech is “respiration”?
“Respiration” is a noun.
Where does the word “respiration” come from?
The word “respiration” comes from Latin. From Latin respiratio, "a breathing," from respirare, "to breathe again.".
How many meanings does “respiration” have?
“Respiration” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act of breathing — taking air into the lungs and releasing it.
