permittivity

[ pur-mi-tiv-i-tee ]

noun

, plural per·mit·tiv·i·ties.

1. Electricity. the ratio of the flux density produced by an electric field in a given dielectric to the flux density produced by that field in a vacuum.

permittivity

/ ˌpɜːmɪˈtɪvɪtɪ /

noun

1. a measure of the response of a substance to an electric field, expressed as the ratio of its electric displacement to the applied field strength; measured in farads per metre ε See also relative permittivity electric constant

permittivity

/ pûr′mĭ-tĭv′ĭ-tē /

1. A measure of the ability of a material to resist the formation of an electric field within it, equal to the ratio between the electric flux density and the electric field strength generated by an electric charge in the material.

Word History and Origins

Origin of permittivity¹

First recorded in 1885–90; permit ¹ + -ive + -ity