liquid

American  

[lik-wid] / ˈlɪk wɪd /

adjective

1. composed of molecules that move freely among themselves but do not tend to separate like those of gases; neither gaseous nor solid.

2. of, relating to, or consisting of liquids.

   a liquid diet.

3. flowing like water.

4. clear, transparent, or bright.

   liquid eyes.

5. (of sounds, tones, etc.) smooth; agreeable; flowing freely.

   the liquid voice of a trained orator.

6. in cash or readily convertible into cash without significant loss of principal.

   liquid assets.

7. Phonetics. characterizing a frictionless speech sound pronounced with only a partial obstruction of the breath stream and whose utterance can be prolonged as that of a vowel, especially l and r.

8. (of movements, gestures, etc.) graceful; smooth; free and unconstricted.

   the ballerina's liquid arabesques.

---

noun

1. a liquid substance.

2. Phonetics. either r or l, and sometimes m, n, ng.

liquid British  

/ ˈlɪkwɪd /

noun

1. a substance in a physical state in which it does not resist change of shape but does resist change of size Compare gas solid

2. a substance that is a liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure

3. phonetics a frictionless continuant, esp ( l ) or ( r )

---

adjective

1. of, concerned with, or being a liquid or having the characteristic state of liquids

   liquid wax

2. shining, transparent, or brilliant

3. flowing, fluent, or smooth

4. (of assets) in the form of money or easily convertible into money

liquid Scientific  

/ lĭk′wĭd /

1. One of four main states of matter, composed of molecules that can move about in a substance but are bound loosely together by intramolecular forces. Unlike a solid, a liquid has no fixed shape, but instead has a characteristic readiness to flow and therefore takes on the shape of any container. Because pressure transmitted at one point is passed on to other points, a liquid usually has a volume that remains constant or changes only slightly under pressure, unlike a gas.

---

liquid Cultural  

1. A phase of matter in which atoms or molecules can move freely while remaining in contact with one another. A liquid takes the shape of its container. (Compare gas and solid.)

---

Related Words

Liquid, fluid agree in referring to matter that is not solid. Liquid commonly refers to substances, as water, oil, alcohol, and the like, that are neither solids nor gases: Water ceases to be a liquid when it is frozen or turned to steam. Fluid is applied to anything that flows, whether liquid or gaseous: Pipes can carry fluids from place to place.

Other Word Forms

• liquidly adverb
• liquidness noun
• nonliquid adjective
• nonliquidly adverb
• unliquid adjective

Etymology

Origin of liquid

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English liquyd, from Latin liquidus, equivalent to liqu(ēre) “to be liquid” + -idus -id ⁴

Explanation

In everyday use, liquid is the opposite of solid––water at room temperature is a liquid: Heat it to boiling, it turns to a gas. Chill it below freezing, it turns to ice. Liquid describes a state in which a compound such as water flows. Juice is a liquid. Milk is a liquid. Your swimming pool is full of liquid. When assets are liquid, that means they can be liquidated easily, i.e., sold for cash. Stocks and bonds are liquid assets. Real estate, which can take a long time to sell, is considered illiquid.

Example Sentences

Magnetic materials believed to host a quantum spin liquid have drawn strong interest because of their potential to reveal exotic states of matter and advance quantum computing.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

"The material's unique ability to 'choose' between different low energy states produced observational data very similar to a quantum spin liquid state," said Dai, corresponding author on this study.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

Back then, the surface of Mars was thought to have been dotted with huge lakes and rivers full of liquid water, a key ingredient for life as we know it.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

“Soon everyone will know H2SO4,” he added—the chemical symbol for the colorless, corrosive liquid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Tante Jans was standing in the kitchen doorway, a tumbler of thick brown liquid in her hand.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom