buoyancy

noun

buoy·​an·​cy ˈbȯi-ən(t)-sē 

ˈbü-yən(t)-

1

a

: the tendency of a body to float or to rise when submerged in a fluid

testing an object's buoyancy

b

chemistry : the power of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body placed in it

the buoyancy of water

also : the upward force exerted

2

: the ability to recover quickly from depression or discouragement : resilience

his buoyancy of spirit

3

: the property of maintaining a satisfactorily high level (as of prices or economic activity)

betting that the economy will maintain its buoyancy

Example Sentences

the natural buoyancy of cork

The swimmer is supported by the water's buoyancy.

We hope that the economy will maintain its buoyancy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Details: The layers of the Lux include gel buoyancy foam, a blended foam that the brand claims reacts faster than traditional memory foam and has better support for more pressure relief. —Jasmine Gomez, Women's Health, 17 Mar. 2023

Levi, once again, carries the movie, though with a shade less of that infectious buoyancy. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023

But the more important change is less tangible — the buoyancy that comes with a complete return to confidence. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2023

Wings lets gliders toggle buoyancy like lift on an airplane, leading to descents and ascents that look more like flights than dives. —Kelsey D. Atherton, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2023

Blush-pink paper hearts lend any vignette or Valentine’s Day party a sense of lighthearted buoyancy. —Kate Mcgregor, ELLE Decor, 17 Jan. 2023

The second issue was the lack of reserve buoyancy that would make the DUKWs extra buoyant as insurance against flooding. —Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2023

Large lungs add buoyancy at the surface and provide a store of oxygen to the circulatory system during foraging dives that can last nearly eight minutes. —National Geographic, 11 Jan. 2023

But the cautious buoyancy began to sink as Biden kept in place the flagship Miller policy of Title 42, a pretextual use of the Covid pandemic to shut down the majority of migrants’ ability to even make an asylum claim at the border. —Felipe De La Hoz, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

see buoy entry 1

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

buoyancy

noun

buoy·​an·​cy ˈbȯi-ən-sē 

ˈbü-yən-

1

: the tendency of a body to float or to rise when in a fluid

the buoyancy of a cork in water

2

: the power of a fluid to put an upward force on a body placed in it

the buoyancy of seawater