noun
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the act of diluting or state of being diluted
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a diluted solution
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dilution
Explanation
Dilution is when something is watered down or weakened. You might object to the dilution of your grandmother's watery iced tea. When the concentration of some substance is made weaker — often by the addition of water — it undergoes dilution. This noun shows up a lot in chemistry, but you can use it to talk about any watered down liquid. You can also describe the dilution, or weakening, of less tangible things, like the dilution of important information in an article after it's edited. The Latin root, diluere, means "dissolve or wash away."
Vocabulary lists containing dilution
Chemistry - Introductory
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Chemistry - High School
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Chemistry - 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.
Lawyers for Abramovich said: "The Judgment made no finding that the dilution was premeditated", or that it was "fraudulent".
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
In the High Court, lawyers for Yugraneft argued the case should be heard in London, and that Tenenbaum, who was based there at the time, must have been aware of the dilution of Yugraneft's interest.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
“No staff filters, no bureaucratic dilution — a direct line to the secretary,” Hegseth said.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
The DBS analysts say the final pricing and share dilution of ICBC’s and AgBank’s share issuances are likely to be similar to those of Bank of China and China Construction Bank last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
The lake was surveyed, its volume determined, and the insecticide applied in such great dilution that for every part of chemical there would be 70 million parts of water.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions 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.
