dilution

American  

[dih-loo-shuhn, dahy-] / dɪˈlu ʃən, daɪ- /

noun

1. the act of diluting or the state of being diluted.

2. something diluted.

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dilution British  

/ daɪˈluːʃən /

noun

1. the act of diluting or state of being diluted

2. a diluted solution

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dilution Scientific  

/ dĭ-lo̅o̅′shən /

1. The process of making a substance less concentrated by adding a solvent, such as water.

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Other Word Forms

• antidilution adjective
• nondilution noun
• overdilution noun

Etymology

Origin of dilution

First recorded in 1640–50; dilute + -ion

Example Sentences

The company said in November that its board had authorized a $500 million stock buyback, looking to offset a part of the share dilution from its stock-based compensation plans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The company reported $18.4 billion of cash withholding taxes related to vested shares and spent an estimated $23.6 billion on share buybacks to offset dilution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

“For some companies, the dilution is very significant over time, and then you need to factor for that,” Luria said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

Specifically, investors should pay attention to dilution without accounting for the offsetting impact of share buybacks.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

If the best antidote for poisons is dilution, what better dilution than a chemical designed to add water and oxygen constantly for hundreds of years?

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera