noun
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the act or process of seeping
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liquid or moisture that has seeped
Etymology
Origin of seepage
Explanation
When liquid or gas slowly leaks through tiny holes or gaps in a container or barrier, it's called seepage. The seepage of rain water through the foundation of your house can result in a very damp basement. Seepage is the process of something seeping, or leaking extremely slowly. You usually can't see seepage happening, the way you'd observe a leak from a faucet. Water seepage from an upstairs bathroom can gradually stain the ceiling of the room below, and the seepage of gas from your stove can be very dangerous to breathe. We can trace this word back to a root meaning "to pour out, drip, or trickle."
Vocabulary lists containing seepage
The Water Cycle - Introductory
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Earth Science - Middle School
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The Water Cycle - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For centuries, Lake Maracaibo’s environs were known for natural seepage of oil rising to the surface from sedimentary rock, a phenomenon also seen in sites like Los Angeles’ La Brea Tar Pits.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026
The accident took place after a slab of concrete covering seepage on the roof slipped and fell off.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2025
The samples are more characteristic of “freshly produced” oil typical of natural seepage, according to officials.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024
Large volumes of water have been pumped in, but many of the tunnels are porous, resulting in seepage into the surrounding soil rather than a deluge through the passageways.
From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2024
“Yeah, there’s a little one back toward Roxbury. You probably never noticed it. It’s just a flat span over a seepage area.”
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
