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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The term, which describes the cognitive decay caused by excessive doomscrolling and online saturation, captures the growing disillusionment with social media felt among younger millennials and Gen Z. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 And though there are now 270 adult-use retail stores open, market saturation is becoming a real worry. Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025 Liu currently stars in Last Breath, a dramatic thriller based on the real story in director Alex Parkinson's 2019 documentary about real-life saturation diver Chris Lemons (played by Finn Cole), who earns his living repairing and maintaining offshore oil rigs and pipelines on the ocean's floor. EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025 The cyber vendor market is approaching saturation as customers struggle to differentiate marketing hype from real capability. Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for saturation

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of saturation was circa 1554

Cite this Entry

“Saturation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saturation. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

saturation

noun
1
: the act or process of saturating
2
: the state of being saturated

Medical Definition

saturation

noun
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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