liquid

American  

[lik-wid] / ˈlɪk wɪd /

adjective

1. composed of molecules that move freely among themselves but do not tend to separate like those of gases; neither gaseous nor solid.

2. of, relating to, or consisting of liquids.

   a liquid diet.

3. flowing like water.

4. clear, transparent, or bright.

   liquid eyes.

5. (of sounds, tones, etc.) smooth; agreeable; flowing freely.

   the liquid voice of a trained orator.

6. in cash or readily convertible into cash without significant loss of principal.

   liquid assets.

7. Phonetics. characterizing a frictionless speech sound pronounced with only a partial obstruction of the breath stream and whose utterance can be prolonged as that of a vowel, especially l and r.

8. (of movements, gestures, etc.) graceful; smooth; free and unconstricted.

   the ballerina's liquid arabesques.

---

noun

liquids plural

1. a liquid substance.

2. Phonetics. either r or l, and sometimes m, n, ng.

liquid British  

/ ˈlɪkwɪd /

noun

1. a substance in a physical state in which it does not resist change of shape but does resist change of size Compare gas solid

2. a substance that is a liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure

3. phonetics a frictionless continuant, esp ( l ) or ( r )

---

adjective

1. of, concerned with, or being a liquid or having the characteristic state of liquids

   liquid wax

2. shining, transparent, or brilliant

3. flowing, fluent, or smooth

4. (of assets) in the form of money or easily convertible into money

liquid Scientific  

/ lĭk′wĭd /

1. One of four main states of matter, composed of molecules that can move about in a substance but are bound loosely together by intramolecular forces. Unlike a solid, a liquid has no fixed shape, but instead has a characteristic readiness to flow and therefore takes on the shape of any container. Because pressure transmitted at one point is passed on to other points, a liquid usually has a volume that remains constant or changes only slightly under pressure, unlike a gas.

---

liquid Cultural  

1. A phase of matter in which atoms or molecules can move freely while remaining in contact with one another. A liquid takes the shape of its container. (Compare gas and solid.)

---

Synonym Usage

Liquid, fluid agree in referring to matter that is not solid. Liquid commonly refers to substances, as water, oil, alcohol, and the like, that are neither solids nor gases: Water ceases to be a liquid when it is frozen or turned to steam. Fluid is applied to anything that flows, whether liquid or gaseous: Pipes can carry fluids from place to place.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• liquidness
  noun
• nonliquid
  adjective
• unliquid
  adjective
• liquidly
  adverb
• nonliquidly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• liquids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of liquid

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English liquyd, from Latin liquidus, equivalent to liqu(ēre) “to be liquid” + -idus -id ⁴

Explanation

In everyday use, liquid is the opposite of solid––water at room temperature is a liquid: Heat it to boiling, it turns to a gas. Chill it below freezing, it turns to ice. Liquid describes a state in which a compound such as water flows. Juice is a liquid. Milk is a liquid. Your swimming pool is full of liquid. When assets are liquid, that means they can be liquidated easily, i.e., sold for cash. Stocks and bonds are liquid assets. Real estate, which can take a long time to sell, is considered illiquid.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

liquid liquids

With this in mind, it is prudent to maintain two to four years’ worth of living expenses in short-term bonds, certificates of deposit or other low-risk, liquid investments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

The fund said the banking system remained well capitalized and liquid, with loans and deposits continuing to grow, though liquidity had tightened since the fighting began.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Uncover the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high and continue to cook for an additional four minutes, until the liquid reduces to a glaze.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

This is the region around a star where temperatures and other environmental conditions may allow liquid water to remain on a planet's surface.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

The lid comes partway off, and cold, sticky liquid seeps through the fabric of my shirt.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

The liquids usually contain the metallic element vanadium.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Hormuz is a critical artery for energy trade, with roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption moving through the waterway.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

The mandatory three-minute breaks at all 104 games are meant to be used for players to take in liquids, but head coaches have used them to make tactical changes and issue fresh instructions to players.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

"Ionic liquids are very stable and can even remain a liquid in space, which not a lot of materials can do," Bruno says.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026

And the spaces where there weren’t any books were filled with jars and bottles of smelly crystals and cloudy liquids.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney