noun
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the act of diluting or state of being diluted
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a diluted solution
Other Word 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.
“This year, investors have been more sensitive to Shopify’s cost management and margin dilution, and we believe today’s print largely abates those concerns, and establishes an upward trajectory for FCF margins going forward,” Shao wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The analysts also forecast further margin expansion, supported by efficiency measures and positive pricing, despite some dilution from recent acquisitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
To achieve this temperature, researchers use a He4-He3 dilution refrigerator similar to those employed in quantum computing systems.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026
Helium-3-based cooling, or dilution refrigeration, is crucial for quantum computers.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
This proved what appeared to me to be his great talent: his seeming resistance to dilution.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
