VOOZH about

URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compression

⇱ COMPRESSION Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    • To save this word, you'll need to log in.
1
a
: the act, process, or result of compressing
b
: the state of being compressed
2
: the process of compressing the fuel mixture in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine (as in an automobile)
3
: the compressed remains of a fossil plant
4
: conversion (as of data, a data file, or a communications signal) in order to reduce the space occupied or bandwidth required

Synonyms of compression

Examples of compression in a Sentence

the compression of a long, complicated story into a two-hour movie is never easy
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their intensity and compression of timescale require curatorial decisions to be shaped by different tempos of attention. —👁 Image
Manuela Moscoso, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026 Fortune also previously reported that some firms deploying AI are now completing product cycles that previously took 24 to 36 months in as little as six months—a compression of time-to-market that’s difficult to reverse once a rival has achieved it. —👁 Image
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 Instead, they are harnessed for compression. —👁 Image
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026 During a field sobriety test, deputies observed Woods limping and wearing a compression sock over his right knee. —👁 Image
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for compression

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of compression was in the 15th century

Rhymes for compression

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Compression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compression. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

compression

noun
1
: the act, process, or result of compressing : the state of being compressed
2
: the process of compressing the fuel mixture in the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine

Medical Definition

compression

noun
: the act, process, or result of compressing especially when involving a compressing force on a bodily part
compression of an artery by forceps
compression of the brain by the bones of a depressed fracture

More from Merriam-Webster on compression

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

More from Merriam-Webster