absolute humidity

American  

noun

1. the mass of water vapor present in a unit volume of moist air.

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absolute humidity British  

noun

1. the humidity of the atmosphere, usually expressed as the number of grams of water contained in 1 cubic metre of air Compare relative humidity

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absolute humidity Scientific  

1. The amount of water vapor that is present in a unit volume of air, usually expressed in grams per cubic meter. Absolute humidity does not fluctuate with the temperature of the air.

2. Compare relative humidity

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Etymology

Origin of absolute humidity

First recorded in 1865–70

Compare meaning

How does absolute-humidity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• relative humidity vs. absolute humidity

Example Sentences

Moreover, the higher the temperature and absolute humidity of the region, the wider the nostril, the researchers found, suggesting that climate very well may have played a part in shaping our sniffers.

From New York Times

Why lower absolute humidity might favor some viruses remains unclear, however.

From Science Magazine

Because warmer air can hold more moisture than cooler air, there's more absolute humidity in the atmosphere now than there used to be.

From Scientific American

“When absolute humidity gets lower, aerosolized droplets containing virus tend to contain less water too. They become smaller, lighter, and they can travel farther.”

From Los Angeles Times

Chan School of Public Health reported that drops in absolute humidity better explained the onset of influenza epidemics in the continental United States than relative humidity or temperature.

From Science Magazine