desalination

American  

[dee-sal-uh nay-shuhn] / diˌsæl ə ˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. Chemistry. the intentional removal of salt from something, especially seawater, by any of various means, often reverse osmosis.

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desalination British  

/ diːˌsælɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the process of removing salt, esp from sea water so that it can be used for drinking or irrigation

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Other Word Forms

• desalinator
  noun

Explanation

When salt and other minerals are removed from soil or water, it's called desalination. Desalination can make sea water safe to drink. The term desalination adds the prefix de-, "undo," to salination, "adding salt." The salty heart of the word is saline, "containing or made of salt." The complex process of water desalination involves using electricity or extreme heat, and it's very expensive. Still, many people around the world depend on desalination of ocean water for drinking and watering crops.

Example Sentences

Guo notes that several solar thermal desalination technologies have shown promising results in laboratory studies using simplified seawater composed only of water and sodium chloride.

From Science Daily • May 31, 2026

Conventional desalination produces liquid brine that must be treated, disposed of, or discharged into the environment.

From Science Daily • May 31, 2026

Harner helped launch Vital Lyfe alongside Jonathan Criss, the startup’s CEO, in late 2024 to tackle water scarcity using advanced desalination tech.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

States would fund much of the estimated 56,000 acre-feet of water that the desalination plant produces annually in exchange for San Diego’s share of the Colorado River.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

“Well, Fabio, judges, I spent my day digging for grubs in the most disgusting mud you can possibly imagine. Then I helped build a desalination still. Oh, and my shoes are by Cheri of Paris.”

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray