saturated

[ sach-uh-rey-tid ]
See synonyms for saturated on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. soaked, impregnated, or imbued thoroughly; charged thoroughly or completely; brought to a state of saturation.

  2. (of colors) of maximum chroma or purity; of the highest intensity of hue; free from admixture of white.

  1. Chemistry.

    • (of a solution) containing the maximum amount of solute capable of being dissolved under given conditions.

    • (of an organic compound) containing no double or triple bonds; having each single bond attached to an atom or group.

    • (of an inorganic compound) having no free valence electrons.

Origin of saturated

1
First recorded in 1660–70; saturate + -ed2

Other words from saturated

  • non·sat·u·rat·ed, adjective
  • sub·sat·u·rat·ed, adjective

Words Nearby saturated

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use saturated in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for saturated

saturated

/ (ˈsætʃəˌreɪtɪd) /


adjective
  1. (of a solution or solvent) containing the maximum amount of solute that can normally be dissolved at a given temperature and pressure: See also supersaturated

  2. (of a colour) having a large degree of saturation

  1. (of a chemical compound)

    • containing no multiple bonds and thus being incapable of undergoing additional reactions: a saturated hydrocarbon

    • containing no unpaired valence electrons

  2. (of a fat, esp an animal fat) containing a high proportion of fatty acids having single bonds: See also polyunsaturated, unsaturated

  3. (of a vapour) containing the equilibrium amount of gaseous material at a given temperature and pressure: See also supersaturated

  4. (of a magnetic material) fully magnetized

  5. extremely wet; soaked

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for saturated

saturated

[ săchə-rā′tĭd ]


  1. Relating to an organic compound in which all the carbon atoms are joined by single bonds and therefore cannot be combined with any additional atoms or radicals. Propane and cyclopentane are examples of saturated hydrocarbons. Compare unsaturated.

  2. Relating to a solution that is unable to dissolve more of a solute.

  1. Containing as much water vapor as is possible at a given temperature. Air that is saturated has a relative humidity of 100 percent.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.