ventilate

verb

ven·​ti·​late ˈven-tə-ˌlāt 

ventilated; ventilating

transitive verb

1

a

: to expose to air and especially to a current of fresh air for purifying, curing, or refreshing

ventilate stored grain

also : oxygenate, aerate

ventilate blood in the lungs

b

: to subject the lungs to ventilation

artificially ventilate a patient in respiratory distress

2

a

: to examine, discuss, or investigate freely and openly : expose

ventilating family quarrels in public

b

: to make public : utter

ventilated their objections at length

3

a

of a current of air : to pass or circulate through so as to freshen

b

: to cause fresh air to circulate through (a place, such as a room or a mine)

4

: to provide an opening in (a burning structure) to permit escape of smoke and heat

5

archaic : to free from chaff by winnowing

Synonyms

• air
• expound
• express
• give
• look
• raise
• sound
• state
• vent
• voice

Examples of ventilate in a Sentence

She opened the windows to ventilate the room.

The room was adequately ventilated.

Recent Examples on the Web

When Rohingya refugees arrived in Bangladesh in 2017, their shelters were inadequately ventilated and used plastic sheeting that needed frequent replacement, posing health risks during periods of high heat. —Henna Hundal, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024

The fire on the bridge was extinguished and the area was ventilated. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024

Open a Window Keep your home ventilated as your cook or to remove any odors from the trash and other areas by opening a window or nearby door. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024

To mitigate this, the architects placed openings and grated floor parts to ensure unobstructed airflow, with the resulting stack effect helping to ventilate it. —Adam Williams, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "discussed, aired," borrowed from Latin ventilātus, past participle of ventilāre "to expose to the air, fan, expose to consideration," from ventus "wind" + -ilāre, verbal suffix, variant of -ulāre originally in derivatives of nouns ending in -ulus, -ula, -ulum -ule — more at wind entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Kids Definition

ventilate

verb

ven·​ti·​late ˈvent-ᵊl-ˌāt 

ventilated; ventilating

1

: to discuss freely and openly

ventilate a complaint

2

a

: to expose to air and especially to a current of fresh air

ventilate stored grain

b

: to provide with ventilation

ventilate a room with fans

Medical Definition

ventilate

transitive verb

ven·​ti·​late ˈvent-ᵊl-ˌāt 

ventilated; ventilating

1

: to expose to air and especially to a current of fresh air for purifying or refreshing

2

a

: oxygenate, aerate

ventilate blood in the lungs

b

: to subject the lungs of (an individual) to ventilation

artificially ventilate a patient in respiratory distress

3

: to give verbal expression to (as mental or emotional conflicts)