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.

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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 )

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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.

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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.)

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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

Offering either an explicit or implied guarantee that government-funding markets will remain open and liquid means hedge funds have less risk of being unable to finance highly leveraged trades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Press firmly on the peaches with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid, color and flavor as possible.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Inside the detector are more than 30 cubic meters of liquid scintillator, a material that produces tiny flashes of light when an antineutrino interacts within it.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Strain the liquid and cool it in the refrigerator.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Inside each, tiny golden threads appeared and disappeared within the liquid.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

It also gives it access to more associated gas, which is found alongside oil reserves and is higher in natural gas liquids.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

No food all day, my doctor said, but clear liquids were fine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

By contrast, animals given low-calorie or noncaloric liquids that tasted sweet did not produce the same response.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 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

This theory, which goes back to the ancient Greeks, declares that health is maintained by a balance of four liquids, or humors, in the body—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman