olfactory
adjective
ōl-
Did you know?
No, olfactory is not a noun meaning “a place that makes scents”; for that, you want perfumery, which makes more sense. Olfactory is instead an adjective used to describe things related to one’s sense of smell, that which lets you detect fruit with your snoot, a leek with your beak, Shiraz with your schnozz. Olfactory comes from the Latin word olfacere (“to smell”), which in turn combines two verbs, olēre (“to give off a smell”) and facere (“to do”). It often appears in scientific contexts (as in “olfactory nerves,” the nerves that pass from the nose to the brain and contain the receptors that make smelling possible), but it is occasionally used in less technical writing and speech. The pleasant smell of hot mulled cider, for example, might be considered an “olfactory delight,” depending on the spices and your own sensibilities, of course. As they say, the nose knows.
Examples of olfactory in a Sentence
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
This set is complete with four fragrance icons—Oud Wood Eau de Parfum, Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum, Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum, and the Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum—each with very different, very rich notes (oud, woody, solar, amber, and fruity) for an olfactory trip of a lifetime.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 5 Nov. 2024
Luxury candles provide another olfactory canvas for crafting compositions that reflect a brand’s signature style.
—Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2024
Notes: Pink pepper, rum absolute, tobacco leaf absolute This smells like: Vogue editors have olfactory proof that this smells like New York’s coolest guys.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for olfactory
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Cite this Entry
“Olfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olfactory. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
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olfactory
adjective
Medical Definition
olfactory
adjective
ōl-
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