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

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.)

---

Related Words

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

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

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

Spray foam is a chemical product made from two materials which, when combined, expand to 30 - 60 times their liquid volume, filling gaps and hard-to-reach spaces.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

This keeps your cash liquid enough to help you quit a toxic job or book a last-minute flight to a bachelor or bachelorette party, while still earning 3% or 4% interest.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

AI’s increasing power and heat demands are making traditional cooling obsolete, creating a boom market for advanced liquid cooling solutions.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Spang solved this by processing the liquid precursor of the hydrogel in a centrifuge.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

Sitting atop 250 tons of burning kerosene and liquid oxygen, his face flattened by a g-load that would cause an ordinary human to pass out—and he asks how the other guy is doing.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin