density

[den-si-tee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR density ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural den·si·ties.

the state or quality of being dense; compactness; closely set or crowded condition.

stupidity; slow-wittedness; obtuseness.

the number of inhabitants, dwellings, or the like, per unit area: The commissioner noted that the population density of certain city blocks had fallen dramatically.

Physics. mass per unit volume.

Electricity.

the quantity of electricity per unit of volume at a point in space, or the quantity per unit of area at a point on a surface.
current density.

the degree of opacity of a substance, medium, etc., that transmits light.

Photography. the relative degree of opacity of an area of a negative or transparency, often expressed logarithmically.

Computers. a measure of the compactness of data saved on a storage medium, as disk or tape, or displayed on an electronic screen.

Origin of density

1595–1605; < Latin dēnsitās, equivalent to dēns(us) dense + -itās -ity

Related formsnon·den·si·ty, nounsu·per·den·si·ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for density

frequency, quantity, thickness, body, heaviness, solidity, closeness, concretion, compactness, consistency, massiveness, denseness, impenetrability, substantiality

Examples from the Web for density

Contemporary Examples of density

But he's immersing himself, creating the density of felt detail from which fine performances emerge.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
Two bubbles less than a millimeter apart might have radically different temperature, density, and other important properties.
The Big Buzz in Space News Is Something Called “Inflation.” What Exactly Is It?
Matthew R. Francis
March 30, 2014
Gurnett knew that he could use the vibrations in the plasma to determine its density.
Voyager Is Sending Us the Sounds of Interstellar Space
Josh Dzieza
September 14, 2013
When the frequency goes up, it means the density of the plasma is increasing.
Voyager Is Sending Us the Sounds of Interstellar Space
Josh Dzieza
September 14, 2013
The critical reason for this is likely to be missed by those who worship at the altar of density and contemporary planning dogma.
Houston Rising—Why the Next Great American Cities Aren’t What You Think
Joel Kotkin
April 8, 2013

Historical Examples of density

The young man tried to be patient over her density in this time of crisis.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
In the second way, density implies compactness of molecules.
The Machinery of the Universe
Amos Emerson Dolbear
So if rate of speed and elasticity be known, the density may be computed.
The Machinery of the Universe
Amos Emerson Dolbear
In this way the density of the ether has been deduced by noting the velocity of light.
The Machinery of the Universe
Amos Emerson Dolbear
The density of their ignorance is something that the people of England cannot understand.
Ireland as It Is
Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)

British Dictionary definitions for density

density

noun plural -ties

the degree to which something is filled, crowded, or occupiedhigh density of building in towns

obtuseness; stupidity

a measure of the compactness of a substance, expressed as its mass per unit volume. It is measured in kilograms per cubic metre or pounds per cubic footSymbol: ρ See also relative density

a measure of a physical quantity per unit of length, area, or volumeSee charge density, current density

physics photog See transmission density, reflection density

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

Word Origin and History for density

c.1600, from French densité (16c.), from Old French dempsité (13c.), from Latin densitas "thickness," from densus "thick, dense" (see dense).

density in Medicine

density

[dĕn′sĭ-tē]

n.

The mass per unit volume of a substance at a specified pressure and temperature.

The quantity of something per unit measure, especially per unit length, area, or volume.

density in Science

density

[dĕn′sĭ-tē]

A measure of the quantity of some physical property (usually mass) per unit length, area, or volume (usually volume).♦ Mass density is a measure of the mass of a substance per unit volume. Most substances (especially gases such as air) increase in density as their pressure is increases or as their temperature decreases.♦ Energy density is a measure of the amount of energy (often in the form of electromagnetic radiation) per unit volume in a region of space or some material. See also Boyle's law.

density in Culture

density

The relative heaviness of objects, measured in units of mass or weight per units of volume. (See specific gravity.)