relative humidity
Americannoun
noun
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The ratio of the actual amount of water vapor present in a volume of air at a given temperature to the maximum amount that the air could hold at that temperature, expressed as a percentage. Warm air can hold more water vapor than cool air, so a particular amount of water vapor will yield a lower relative humidity in warm air than it does in cool air.
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Compare absolute humidity
Etymology
Origin of relative humidity
First recorded in 1810–20
Compare meaning
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Example Sentences
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These included educational attainment, median household income, racial composition, average temperature and relative humidity, smoking prevalence, BMI, and distance to the nearest hospital.
From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026
Meteorologists in the US and elsewhere have expressed concerns over "reduced number of weather balloons" that observe wind, relative humidity and pressure above the ground.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025
Thick marine-layer clouds filled the sky at 7 a.m, keeping the relative humidity too high for a good scorching.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025
Covina and Long Beach will see higher relative humidity, at around 30%, and Redondo Beach, 43%.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025
The cloudiness and relative humidity average high on western coasts, with the maximum in the colder season.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5 "Clervaux" to "Cockade" by Various
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.
