desalination
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing desalination
Chemistry - High School
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Chemistry - Middle School
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Marine Biology - 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.
The combination of reservoirs and desalination plants can heal the Southwest of perpetual drought, and California will probably be able to sell excess water to Arizona, Nevada and Northern Mexico.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
But if that water is used for data centres, households are likely to pay the price for sourcing water from elsewhere, such as through desalination, which costs more than traditional water sources.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
They have targeted civilian infrastructure, including water desalination plants and energy installations, along with bases hosting American troops.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
The technology could also improve water collection in desalination and water-harvesting devices, while faster heat removal could provide better cooling for electronic equipment.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
With desalination units being set up along the coast, she figures there’ll be enough water for everyone soon enough, so why not be generous?
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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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.
