flotation

American  

[floh-tay-shuhn] / floʊˈteɪ ʃən /

Rarely floatation

noun

1. an act or state of floating.

2. the launching of a commercial venture, bond issue, loan, etc.

3. Metallurgy. a process for separating the different minerals in a mass of powdered ore based on their tendency to sink in, or float on, a given liquid.

4. the science of floating bodies.

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flotation British  

/ fləʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. 1. the launching or financing of a commercial enterprise by bond or share issues

   2. the raising of a loan or new capital by bond or share issues

2. power or ability to float; buoyancy

3. Also called: froth flotation. a process to concentrate the valuable ore in low-grade ores. The ore is ground to a powder, mixed with water containing surface-active chemicals, and vigorously aerated. The bubbles formed trap the required ore fragments and carry them to the surface froth, which is then skimmed off

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Etymology

Origin of flotation

First recorded in 1800–10; float + -ation; compare French flottaison ( see flotsam)

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Explanation

When something is buoyant, carried on the surface of water, that's flotation. If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, you definitely need at least one unicorn-shaped flotation device. The ability to float is flotation, which can also be spelled floatation. A flotation device can be a safety feature on a boat, like the floating foam rings that can be used in case of emergency or the life jackets sailors wear. It can also be for fun, like an inflatable raft you use for floating around a pond. The Old English root of flotation is flotian, "to rest on the surface of water."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flotation

That person, who eventually saved the dog, said White couldn’t hold onto a flotation device thrown to him and disappeared under the water in the Bailey Cove boat launch area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

This could help explain why so many of those who came on Thursday swam or used flotation devices to get to Ceuta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

AFP reporters saw hundreds of people -- men, women and children -- entering Ceuta, discarding flotation rings and clothes used in their crossing.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

The successful flotation raised about $8.5 billion for the 7% of shares that were offered although the over-allotment of shares, allows underwriters to increase that to around $10 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

When I first heard of this monastery I laughed out loud, but now the image of dot-com moguls scrubbing for the good of their souls presents itself as a psychic flotation device.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

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