noun
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the act of diluting or state of being diluted
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a diluted solution
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dilution
Explanation
Dilution is when something is watered down or weakened. You might object to the dilution of your grandmother's watery iced tea. When the concentration of some substance is made weaker — often by the addition of water — it undergoes dilution. This noun shows up a lot in chemistry, but you can use it to talk about any watered down liquid. You can also describe the dilution, or weakening, of less tangible things, like the dilution of important information in an article after it's edited. The Latin root, diluere, means "dissolve or wash away."
Vocabulary lists containing dilution
Chemistry - Introductory
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Chemistry - High School
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Chemistry - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Tesaro deal hasn’t created value, but GSK will take measures to mitigate the dilution on profitability from the deal this time around, according to Bernstein.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
That helped offset dilution from stock-based compensation for employees.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
While the deal may ultimately be good for investors, if it leads to long-term value, in the short term dilution could bite, and the market will react.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
That would result in significant dilution for GameStop shareholders, who would only have around 25% to 30% ownership in the combined entity, according to Sebastian.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
If the best antidote for poisons is dilution, what better dilution than a chemical designed to add water and oxygen constantly for hundreds of years?
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
