saturation

[sach-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or process of saturating.

2. the state of being saturated. saturated.

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

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

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

saturation

/ ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of saturating or the state of being saturated

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

3. 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

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

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

6. 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

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

1. denoting the maximum possible intensity of coverage of an area

   saturation bombing

   a saturation release of a film

saturation

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Compare hue value

4. The state of being a saturated organic compound.

5. See more at saturated

Other Word Forms

• desaturation noun
• nonsaturation noun
• oversaturation noun
• subsaturation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of saturation¹

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

Example Sentences

Liquids with greater initial gas saturation needed even less shear to create more bubbles.

Read more on Science Daily

The expansion will be new ground for the company, which will eventually reach a saturation point in U.S. subscribers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

During these sessions, the researchers monitored heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen uptake efficiency, blood oxygen saturation, and how much effort participants used to breathe.

Read more on Science Daily

His murder happened at an event he regularly staged on college campuses to generate clips for social media saturation.

Read more on Salon

He argued for a significant increase in the use of stop-and-search powers "to saturation", saying this would remove deadly weapons from circulation.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• congestion 
• overload