saturation
noun
sat·u·ra·tion
ˌsa-chə-ˈrā-shən 
1
a
: the act of saturating : the state of being saturated
2
: conversion of an unsaturated to a saturated chemical compound (as by hydrogenation)
3
: a state of maximum impregnation: such as
a
: complete infiltration : permeation
b
: the presence in air of the most water possible under existent pressure and temperature
c
: magnetization to the point beyond which a further increase in the intensity of the magnetizing force will produce no further magnetization
4
a
: chromatic purity : freedom from dilution with white
b(1)
: degree of difference from the gray having the same lightness
—used of an object color
(2)
: degree of difference from the achromatic light-source color of the same brightness
—used of a light-source color
compare hue sense 2c
5
: the supplying of a market with as much of a product as it will absorb
6
: an overwhelming concentration of military forces or firepower
Examples of saturation in a Sentence
Heavy rains resulted in the saturation of the soil.
the saturation of advertising on television
Recent Examples on the Web
The researchers noted that the plateauing of AI writing adoption in 2024 might reflect either market saturation or increasingly sophisticated LLMs producing text that evades detection methods.
—
Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
The 14 best horror movies based on true stories, ranked
How much money do saturation divers make for risking their lives?
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The 32-year-old native of Edinburgh was part of an elite group of aquanauts known as saturation divers, who were responsible for fixing and maintaining the 20,000 miles of pipeline that rest on the ocean floor.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025
The same color, but at a 50 percent saturation, also coats the house's exterior.
—Katelyn Squiers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saturation
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Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
The 14 best horror movies based on true stories, ranked
How much money do saturation divers make for risking their lives?
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The 32-year-old native of Edinburgh was part of an elite group of aquanauts known as saturation divers, who were responsible for fixing and maintaining the 20,000 miles of pipeline that rest on the ocean floor.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025
The same color, but at a 50 percent saturation, also coats the house's exterior.
—Katelyn Squiers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saturation
Cite this Entry
“Saturation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saturation. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
saturation
noun
sat·u·ra·tion
ˌsach-ə-ˈrā-shən
1
: the act or process of saturating
2
: the state of being saturated
Medical Definition
saturation
noun
sat·u·ra·tion
ˌsach-ə-ˈrā-shən
1
: the act of saturating : the state of being saturated
2
: conversion of an unsaturated to a saturated chemical compound (as by hydrogenation)
3
: a state of maximum impregnation
especially
: the presence in air of the most water possible under existent pressure and temperature
4
a
: the one of the three psychological dimensions of color perception that is related to the purity of the color and that decreases as the amount of white present in the stimulus increases
called also intensity
compare brightness, hue
b(1)
: degree of difference from the gray having the same lightness
—used of an object color
(2)
: degree of difference from the achromatic light-source color of the same brightness
—used of a light-source color
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