condensation

[ kon-den-sey-shuhn, -duhn- ]

/ ˌkɒn dɛnˈseɪ ʃən, -dən- /

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See synonyms for condensation on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of condensing; the state of being condensed.

the result of being made more compact or dense.

reduction of a book, speech, statement, or the like, to a shorter or terser form; abridgment.

a condensed form: Did you read the whole book or just a condensation?

a condensed mass.

(in nontechnical usage) condensate.

the act or process of reducing a gas or vapor to a liquid or solid form.

Chemistry. a reaction between two or more organic molecules leading to the formation of a larger molecule and the elimination of a simple molecule such as water or alcohol.

Meteorology. the process by which atmospheric water vapor liquefies to form fog, clouds, or the like, or solidifies to form snow or hail.

Psychoanalysis. the representation of two or more ideas, memories, feelings, or impulses by one word or image, as in a person's humor, accidental slips, or dreams.

Physics. the relative amount by which the density of an elastic medium varies from its average value as a sound wave passes through it.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of condensation

1595–1605; <Late Latin condēnsātiōn- (stem of condēnsātiō), equivalent to condēnsāt(us) condensate + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM condensation

con·den·sa·tion·al, adjectivecon·den·sa·tive, adjectivenon·con·den·sa·tion, nouno·ver·con·den·sa·tion, noun

pre·con·den·sa·tion, nounre·con·den·sa·tion, nounsub·con·den·sa·tion, nounun·con·den·sa·tion·al, adjective

Words nearby condensation

condemnatory, condemned, condemned cell, condensable, condensate, condensation, condensation nucleus, condensation point, condensation trail, condense, condensed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use condensation in a sentence

This future city collects water through air condensation and uses solar power to drive itself over arid landscapes.
Future Cities: New Challenges Mean We Need to Reimagine the Look of Urban Landscapes|Nick Dunn|December 18, 2020|Singularity Hub
An auto drain function will exhaust all condensation automatically without the need to manually service the machine.
Best portable air conditioner: Cool off where you need it most|Eric Alt|December 17, 2020|Popular-Science
Propane heaters are also notorious for creating lots of condensation, whereas diesel versions put out a dry heat and work well at high altitudes.
The Best Winter Car-Camping Upgrades|Bryan Rogala|November 24, 2020|Outside Online
He agrees that molecules are more likely to link together by condensation reactions on land, where wet-dry cycles can occur, than in the ocean.
Life on Earth may have begun in hostile hot springs|Jack J. Lee|September 24, 2020|Science News

Mineral deposits indicate the presence of hot springs and hydrothermal activity in the planet’s past, which would have sustained the wetting and drying cycles that the two researchers see as crucial for condensation reactions to get life going.
Life on Earth may have begun in hostile hot springs|Jack J. Lee|September 24, 2020|Science News
Exhale on the cold pane, then draw a ladybug in the condensation.
Crushing Christmas: How to Win Every Argument|Kelly Williams Brown|December 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There are other forms of electrical discharges not distinctly connected with the then existing condensation of moisture.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
But he is very serious, and his words sometimes chill like a condensation of Young's “Night Thoughts.”
Our Churches and Chapels|Atticus
By telescopic condensation of the field, Cragley was capable of bringing Deliphon on the instrument.
Spacewrecked on Venus|Neil R. Jones
Condensation is explained as undergoing an alteration; that means, as becoming composite.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)
Evaporation and condensation, woods and glaciers, have all been brought into play.
Canada and the Canadians|Sir Richard Henry Bonnycastle

British Dictionary definitions for condensation

condensation

/ (ˌkɒndɛnˈseɪʃən) /

noun

the act or process of condensing, or the state of being condensed

anything that has condensed from a vapour, esp on a window

chem a type of reaction in which two organic molecules combine to form a larger molecule as well as a simple molecule such as water, methanol, etc

anything that has been shortened, esp an abridged version of a book

psychoanal

the fusion of two or more ideas, etc, into one symbol, occurring esp in dreams
the reduction of many experiences into one word or action, as in a phobia

Derived forms of condensation

condensational, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for condensation

condensation

[ kŏn′dən-sā′shən ]

The change of a gas or vapor to a liquid, either by cooling or by being subjected to increased pressure. When water vapor cools in the atmosphere, for example, it condenses into tiny drops of water, which form clouds.

condensation

Origin of condensation

OTHER WORDS FROM condensation

Words nearby condensation

Words related to condensation

How to use condensation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for condensation

Derived forms of condensation

Scientific definitions for condensation