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.
“Working together, we can more effectively protect against voter dilution and promote election integrity.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
In the High Court, lawyers for Yugraneft argued the case should be heard in London, and that Tenenbaum, who was based there at the time, must have been aware of the dilution of Yugraneft's interest.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
“No staff filters, no bureaucratic dilution — a direct line to the secretary,” Hegseth said.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Still, the near-term dilution could be offset by a stronger valuation read-through from these potential IPOs, she adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
