combustion

noun

com·​bus·​tion kəm-ˈbəs-chən 

1

: an act or instance of burning

Smoke is produced during combustion.

2

: a usually rapid chemical process (such as oxidation) that produces heat and usually light

The carburetor mixes fuel with air for combustion.

also : a slower oxidation (as in the body)

3

: violent agitation : tumult

… periods of great social combustion alternating with quiescence …

—Kurt Andersen

combustive

kəm-ˈbə-stiv 

adjective

Examples of combustion in a Sentence

Combustion may occur at high temperatures.

This ratio of air to fuel results in better combustion.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ford's sales of internal combustion vehicles, those that run on gasoline, inched up 2% in August to 160,762 gasoline cars sold. —Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025

Ford's sales of internal combustion vehicles, those that run on gasoline, inched up 2% in August to 160,762 gasoline cars sold. —Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Called Electrogenic and based in Oxfordshire, the firm has built a reputation for converting iconic classic cars from internal combustion to electricity. —Alistair Charlton, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Comparing powertrains within classes On the other hand, hybrid powertrains (the kind that don't plug in) only reduce life cycle carbon compared to internal combustion alone by a modest amount—between 11 and 13 percent, depending on the vehicle class. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English combustioun "burning, calcination," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French combustion, borrowed from Late Latin combustiōn-, combustiō "burning up (of the dead or by the fires in hell)," from Latin combus-, variant stem of combūrere "to destroy with fire, reduce to ashes" + -tiōn-, tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at combust

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing combustion

• combustion chamber
• combustion engine
• external combustion engine
• internal combustion engine
• pre-combustion
• spontaneous combustion

Rhymes for combustion

• fustian

Kids Definition

combustion

noun

com·​bus·​tion kəm-ˈbəs-chən 

1

: an act or instance of burning

2

: a chemical process in which substances combine with oxygen

Medical Definition

combustion

noun

com·​bus·​tion kəm-ˈbəs-chən 

: a usually very rapid chemical process (as oxidation) that produces heat and usually light

also : a slower oxidation (as in the body)