evaporation

noun

evap·​o·​ra·​tion i-ˌva-pə-ˈrā-shən 

: the act or process of evaporating:

a

: change from a liquid to a vapor

evaporation of water

But warming increases the evaporation of ocean water, which could increase the snowfall on the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, remove water from the ocean, and lower sea level.

—Jack M. Hollander

b

: the vanishing or disappearance of something

The pope's attempt to arrest the evaporation of the Christian tradition in Europe was also unsuccessful.

—Conrad Black

No longer a machine that accelerates the evaporation of resources, in the Roman context the banquet becomes a theatre of wealth and property, of social distinction, or social-climbing.

—James N. Davidson

Examples of evaporation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fuel demand tends to increase as the weather warms up and more cars hit the road, while gas stations also switch to more expensive summer-blend gasoline, which takes longer to produce and includes additives intended to reduce evaporation during warmer months. —CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026

If air-drying indoors, use a fan or dehumidifier to speed evaporation. —Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 9 Mar. 2026

The combined system uses approximately 15 to 25 percent more water overall because evaporation is central to the cooling process. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Mar. 2026

The graphene oxide forms an efficient heat-transfer network, spreading thermal energy across the membrane as the battery heats up, while the active carbon fiber’s porous structure maximizes surface area for water evaporation. —Etiido Uko march 04, New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for evaporation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

evaporation

noun

evap·​o·​ra·​tion

i-ˌvap-ə-ˈrā-shən

: the process of evaporating

Medical Definition

evaporation

noun

evap·​o·​ra·​tion i-ˌvap-ə-ˈrā-shən 

: the change by which any substance is converted from a liquid state into and carried off in vapor

specifically : the conversion of a liquid into vapor in order to remove it wholly or partly from a liquid of higher boiling point or from solids dissolved in or mixed with it

evaporate

i-ˈvap-ə-ˌrāt 

verb

evaporated; evaporating

evaporator

-ˌrāt-ər 

noun