saturation

[ sach-uh-rey-shuhn ]

/ ˌsætʃ əˈreɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for saturation on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or process of saturating.

the state of being saturated.

Meteorology. a condition in the atmosphere corresponding to 100 percent relative humidity.

the degree of chroma or purity of a color; the degree of freedom from admixture with white.

Magnetism. the state of maximum magnetization of a ferromagnetic material.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of saturation

1545–55; <Late Latin saturātiōn- (stem of saturātiō) a filling, equivalent to saturāt(us) (see saturate) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM saturation

de·sat·u·ra·tion, nounnon·sat·u·ra·tion, nouno·ver·sat·u·ra·tion, nounsub·sat·u·ra·tion, noun

Words nearby saturation

saturated fat, saturated fats, saturated liquid, saturated vapor, saturater, saturation, saturation bombing, saturation diving, saturation level, saturation point, saturator

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use saturation in a sentence

The color e-paper display still lacks saturation, if not contrast.
Boox tablets are welcome options in the growing oversize e-reader niche|Devin Coldewey|August 26, 2021|TechCrunch
That was also the point at which states were beginning to reach saturation on the oldest vaccine recipients, so it’s likely that the shift had multiple causes.
The administration hoped its new mask guidance would stoke vaccinations. It doesn’t seem to have worked.|Philip Bump|July 22, 2021|Washington Post
Campaigns are constantly updated and adapted to improve on what’s just been learned, down to granularity such as what level of color saturation to use on Instagram in the morning versus the afternoon or evening.
Media Buying Briefing: Known builds clients an ‘Iron Man suit’ made of data science and creativity to supercharge campaigns|Michael Bürgi|July 6, 2021|Digiday
Mohan’s health worsened on April 25, and that night, the oxygen saturation in his blood dropped to a dangerous level.
These twins are 5 years old. They lost both parents to covid-19.|Joanna Slater|June 17, 2021|Washington Post

The hardware attempts to read the oxygen saturation in your blood.
Apple Watch Series 6 review: Still the best smartwatch for iPhone users|Billy Cadden|June 15, 2021|Popular-Science
Russians believe the best way to dry out from vodka saturation is with a sauna session and a beating with birch branches.
The Wildest Hangover Cures From Around the World|Nina Strochlic|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That weekend initiated the phenomenon of saturation TV coverage.
Death of JFK Spawned an Industry That Thrived for Decades|Richard Woodward|November 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Otherwise the saturation coverage of the young victims will, over time, come to seem awfully hollow.
In Between Mass Shootings, the Media Have Been MIA on Guns|Howard Kurtz|December 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In the saturation coverage that followed the Connecticut school massacre, some in the media made an awful mistake.
Media Misfire: Accusing the Wrong Man in Connecticut Shooting|Howard Kurtz|December 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“I have reached a saturation point on the small talk about her clothes,” Givhan writes.
Michelle Obama’s Signs of Fashion Restraint on Election Night|Isabel Wilkinson|November 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
There are many gradations of dirt and various degrees of saturation from salt water, but this combination is unapproachable.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
Only when it remains blue, has the point of saturation been reached.
The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines|George Husmann
But finally he reached the state of saturation where the liquor produced a steadily diminishing effect.
Death Makes A Mistake|P.F. Costello
The point of saturation, or else the limit of human ingenuity, seems to have been about reached some years ago.
Railroads: Rates and Regulations|William Z. Ripley
I have frequently been wet to saturation in Africa, and nothing ever occurred from it, by pursuing the course here laid down.
Official Report of the Niger Valley Exploring Party |Martin Robinson Delany

British Dictionary definitions for saturation

saturation

/ (ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃən) /

noun

the act of saturating or the state of being saturated

chem the state of a chemical compound, solution, or vapour when it is saturated

meteorol the state of the atmosphere when it can hold no more water vapour at its particular temperature and pressure, the relative humidity then being 100 per cent

the attribute of a colour that enables an observer to judge its proportion of pure chromatic colourSee also colour

physics the state of a ferromagnetic material in which it is fully magnetized. The magnetic domains are then all fully aligned

electronics the state of a valve or semiconductor device that is carrying the maximum current of which it is capable and is therefore unresponsive to further increases of input signal

the level beyond which demand for a product or service is not expected to increase

adjective

denoting the maximum possible intensity of coverage of an areasaturation bombing; a saturation release of a film

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 saturation

saturation

[ săch′ə-rā′shən ]

The state of a physical system, such as a solution, containing as much of another substance, such as a solute, as is possible at a given temperature or pressure.

The vividness of a color's hue. Saturation measures the degree to which a color differs from a gray of the same darkness or lightness. Compare hue value.

The state of being a saturated organic compound. See more at saturated.

saturation

Origin of saturation

OTHER WORDS FROM saturation

Words nearby saturation

Words related to saturation

How to use saturation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for saturation

Scientific definitions for saturation