vital capacity

noun

, Physiology.

1. the greatest amount of air that can be forced from the lungs after maximum inhalation.

vital capacity

noun

1. physiol the volume of air that can be exhaled from the lungs after the deepest possible breath has been taken: a measure of lung function

vital capacity

/ vīt′l /

1. The maximum amount of air that can be expelled from the lungs after breathing in as deeply as possible.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vital capacity¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Another measure is called forced vital capacity, which is the volume of air a person can exhale after taking a deep breath.

From Seattle Times

In its report, the Transport Select Committee said this and other decisions would "reduce the prospects of meeting ambitions for the North by limiting the vital capacity needed for growth".

From BBC

But as our commitment to pluralism waned, that system broke down and that vital capacity eroded.

From Washington Post

My lungs are at 20 percent of vital capacity and it’s a matter of time before the nerves supplying my breathing muscles degenerate.

From Washington Post

A second model relies on vital capacity, the maximum amount of air the lungs can expel.

From Nature