congestion

[kuhn-jes-chuhn]

noun

1. overcrowding; clogging.

   severe traffic congestion.

2. an excessive or abnormal accumulation of blood or other fluid in a body part or blood vessel.

   pulmonary congestion.

congestion

/ kənˈdʒɛstʃən /

noun

1. the state of being overcrowded, esp with with traffic or people

2. the state of being overloaded or clogged with blood

3. the state of being blocked with mucus

Other Word Forms

• noncongestion noun
• precongestion noun
• supercongestion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of congestion¹

From the Latin word congestiō, dating back to 1585–95. See congest, -ion

Example Sentences

The fixture congestion is complicated by Palace drawing Arsenal, who will be playing in the Champions League on those midweek evenings in January.

Read more on BBC

In addition, congestion on roads, in parking lots and on lift lines tends to evaporate.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Over its years of considering the gondola, one Metro document framed the issue this way: “Could an aerial tram to Dodger Stadium alleviate traffic congestion, clean the air, and spark joy?”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Kravitz argues that to block one of them off would result in massive congestion, particularly during rush hour, and potentially block the paths of emergency vehicles looking for a way around Alton traffic.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Flight delays and cancellations, while disruptive to individual travelers, are actually good from a system perspective, because they prevent congestion in the airspace.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• bottleneck 
• overpopulation 
• traffic jam