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• valence
  valence

  noun

  Also valency
• Valence
  Valence

  noun

  a city in and the capital of Drôme, in SE France.

valence

¹ American  

[vey-luhns] / ˈveɪ ləns /

noun

valences plural

1. Chemistry. Also valency

   1. the quality that determines the number of atoms or groups with which any single atom or group will unite chemically.

   2. the relative combining capacity of an atom or group compared with that of the standard hydrogen atom. The chloride ion, Cl–, with a valence of one, has the capacity to unite with one atom of hydrogen or its equivalent, as in HCl or NaCl.

2. Immunology. the number of determinants per molecule of antigen.

3. the capacity of one person or thing to react with or affect another in some special way, as by attraction or the facilitation of a function or activity.

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Valence ² American  

[va-lahns] / vaˈlɑ̃s /

noun

1. a city in and the capital of Drôme, in SE France.

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valence ¹ British  

/ ˈveɪləns /

noun

1. another name (esp US and Canadian) for valency

2. the phenomenon of forming chemical bonds

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Valence ² British  

/ valɑ̃s /

noun

1. a town in SE France, on the River Rhône. Pop: 64 260 (1999)

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valence Scientific  

/ vā′ləns /

1. A whole number that represents the ability of an atom or a group of atoms to combine with other atoms or groups of atoms. The valence is determined by the number of electrons that an atom can lose, add, or share. An atom's valence is positive if its own electrons are used in forming the bond, or negative if another atom's electrons are used. For example, a carbon atom can share four of its electrons with other atoms and therefore has a valence of +4. A sodium atom can receive an electron from another atom and therefore has a valence of −1. (In this book the distinction between positive and negative valences is ignored unless it is relevant.) The valence of an atom generally indicates how many chemical bonds it is capable of forming with other atoms.

2. Also called valence number oxidation state

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valence Cultural  

1. A number characterizing an atom, equal to the number of valence electrons.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• valences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of valence

First recorded in 1865–70; from Latin valentia “strength, worth,” equivalent to present participle valent- (stem of valēns ) “to be strong” + -ia noun suffix; see -ence

Explanation

The valence of an atom is the ability of that atom, expressed in numbers, to combine or interact with another atom, depending on the number of electrons available for bonding in the atom’s outer shell, called the valence shell. The Latin valentia, "strength," is the basis for the word valence. It's a fitting word, as the valence of an element determines its strength — an idea that was first recorded in the later 19th century. Since the word valence carries the idea of interaction, it can also be used to describe the amount of attraction or repulsion by people, either toward each other or an event.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

valence Valence valences

Excitons form inside semiconductors when electrons absorb energy and jump from their resting state in the valence band to a higher energy state in the conduction band.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2026

When we talk about something in economic terms, it really doesn’t have much moral valence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2025

Dahlia Lithwick: I would love for you to talk about religion, because there’s such a strong religious valence to so much of this much.

From Slate ● May 8, 2024

To avoid this moral valence affecting her enjoyment of a meal, Marcille is often left out of discussions on what will be on the menu in a given episode.

From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2024

Egged on by scheming courtiers and generals, relations between Atawallpa and Washkar spent several years swinging through the emotional valence from concealed suspicion to overt hostility.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The city of Valence also lies on the route connecting the southern city of Toulouse to the central city of Lyon.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025

Valence electrons are those in the outermost shell of an atom.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 8, 2024

Mr Fortin had then registered with the Valence job centre, and eventually his unemployment benefits ran out.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2023

So did up-to-date tools for dyslexic students, which the show’s dramaturge, Taylor Janney-Rovin, an educator who instructs dyslexic children at Valence College Prep, in Queens, suggested.

From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2023

There, underneath the words Author Victoria Valence, was a photo of V. The woman without any words had written millions of them.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff

Spirituality takes on previously unconsidered valences in the canvases of Wally Hedrick and Carlos Villa.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025

That language also has multiple valences and meanings.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2024

The emotional valences are thus much more complicated this time around, and to accommodate the complexities, the picture is close to three hours long, the longest of the series by far.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2023

In this sense, Mitchell’s and Minnelli’s appearances carried slightly different emotional valences.

From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2022

These were of scarlet, yellow, and other showy colors in silks and cloths, with fantastically scalloped and fringed valences.

From By Sheer Pluck, a Tale of the Ashanti War by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

Related Words

• reactiveness
• reactivity