hydrophilic

American  

[hahy-druh-fil-ik] / ˌhaɪ drəˈfɪl ɪk /

adjective

Chemistry.

1. having a strong affinity for water.

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noun

1. soft lens.

hydrophilic British  

/ ˌhaɪdrəʊˈfɪlɪk /

adjective

1. chem tending to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water Compare hydrophobic

   a hydrophilic colloid

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Usage

What does hydrophilic mean? Describing something as hydrophilic means that it tends to be attracted to water or that it tends to easily dissolve in, mix with, absorb, or be saturated by water. In general, hydrophilic describes things that tend to interact with or be affected by water in some way. Hydrophilic is used in the context of science, especially chemistry, to describe many different substances or chemicals, such as ammonia, ethanol, table salt, and table sugar. Hydrophilic can also appear in a wide range of other fields, such as hydrophilic medicine. In construction or plumbing, some metals and surfaces are described as hydrophilic.

Other Word Forms

• hydrophile noun

Etymology

Origin of hydrophilic

First recorded in 1900–05; hydro- ¹ + -philic

Example Sentences

When applied to the stalactite-shaped nanopores embedded in a silicon-nitride membrane, the outward-facing hydrophilic heads attract an extremely thin layer of water.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

The scientists then adhere the nanoparticles to carbon paper that is hydrophilic, or attracted to water molecules.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2024

We call them "hydrophilic" or water loving; those are the ones that will make your food taste bad.

From Salon • May 2, 2023

First, they made individual polymers, linking a hydrophobic, or oil-like portion, to a hydrophilic, or waterlike strand.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 29, 2022

This characteristic is vital to the structure of a plasma membrane because, in water, phospholipids tend to become arranged with their hydrophobic tails facing each other and their hydrophilic heads facing out.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022