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: a substance (such as a liquid or gas) tending to flow or conform to the outline of its container
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Adjective
a substance in a fluid state
warm the jam until it is fluid, then spread it over the cake
Noun
Please check the fluids in the car's engine.
She needs to drink plenty of fluids.
Fluid leaked from the car's engine.
a bottle of yellow fluid
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Recent Examples on the Web
Elif Batuman, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2023
Carlisle has chosen not to do that so far, sticking with a nine-man rotation and a more fluid substitution pattern.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Jan. 2023
Talks are fluid, but the framework being discussed to win over some of the McCarthy critics is coming together.
—Kathryn Watson, Stefan Becket, Caroline Linton, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2023
Driven hard on sweeping curving roads among desert rock formations, the car was fluid, holding the road with ease.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 19 Dec. 2022
Those things are fluid and few teams are good enough to repeat year after year.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 10 Oct. 2022
The village was divided between Russian forces in the southern neighborhoods and Ukrainian forces in the northern ones, though the fronts were fluid and ambiguous.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
The officers involved had a duty to de-escalate this very fluid situation and give Mr. Naji the time, opportunity, and space to put down his firearm.
—Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 22 Dec. 2022
As of Thursday, ground teams at Mission Control in Moscow continue assessing the leak, evaluating the fluid and potential impacts to the integrity of the Soyuz spacecraft.
—Stephanie Mlot, PCMAG, 15 Dec. 2022
Helen Ouyang, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2023
Fiber needs fluid to help move through the digestive system.
—Amanda Macmillan, Health, 25 Jan. 2023
This fluid sends essential nutrients to the cartilage in a joint space, creating a slicker surface for joints.
—Dallas News, 24 Jan. 2023
Green burial is the most straightforward option for someone wanting to avoid depositing hazardous embalming fluid into the ground while minimizing the need for wood, concrete, and other materials that require energy to produce.
—Danielle Seurkamp, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The fluid’s water and salivary proteins lubricate each mouthful of food, and its enzymes such as amylase and lipase kickstart the process of digestion.
—Chris Gorski, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2023
Still, no amount of practice could prevent one unexpected difficulty during filming, involving an excess of bodily fluid.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023
Your cells also pump fluid into the bloodstream to help flush out sugar.
—Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 22 Jan. 2023
The fluid’s water and salivary proteins lubricate each mouthful of food, and its enzymes such as amylase and lipase kickstart the process of digestion.
—Chris Gorski, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2023
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Adjective
Contrapuntal, or stereoscopic, reading felt like an exciting approach to the Russian canon, in which categories like victim and perpetrator—or center and periphery—are particularly fluid.
—Elif Batuman, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2023
Carlisle has chosen not to do that so far, sticking with a nine-man rotation and a more fluid substitution pattern.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Jan. 2023
Talks are fluid, but the framework being discussed to win over some of the McCarthy critics is coming together.
—Kathryn Watson, Stefan Becket, Caroline Linton, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2023
Driven hard on sweeping curving roads among desert rock formations, the car was fluid, holding the road with ease.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 19 Dec. 2022
Those things are fluid and few teams are good enough to repeat year after year.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 10 Oct. 2022
The village was divided between Russian forces in the southern neighborhoods and Ukrainian forces in the northern ones, though the fronts were fluid and ambiguous.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
The officers involved had a duty to de-escalate this very fluid situation and give Mr. Naji the time, opportunity, and space to put down his firearm.
—Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 22 Dec. 2022
As of Thursday, ground teams at Mission Control in Moscow continue assessing the leak, evaluating the fluid and potential impacts to the integrity of the Soyuz spacecraft.
—Stephanie Mlot, PCMAG, 15 Dec. 2022
Noun
Later that afternoon, Erica Guardiola, a nurse wearing scrubs and her hair in a ponytail, stopped by Saltzman’s trailer to draw his blood and dispense another liter of IV fluid.
—Helen Ouyang, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2023
Fiber needs fluid to help move through the digestive system.
—Amanda Macmillan, Health, 25 Jan. 2023
This fluid sends essential nutrients to the cartilage in a joint space, creating a slicker surface for joints.
—Dallas News, 24 Jan. 2023
Green burial is the most straightforward option for someone wanting to avoid depositing hazardous embalming fluid into the ground while minimizing the need for wood, concrete, and other materials that require energy to produce.
—Danielle Seurkamp, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
The fluid’s water and salivary proteins lubricate each mouthful of food, and its enzymes such as amylase and lipase kickstart the process of digestion.
—Chris Gorski, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2023
Still, no amount of practice could prevent one unexpected difficulty during filming, involving an excess of bodily fluid.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Jan. 2023
Your cells also pump fluid into the bloodstream to help flush out sugar.
—Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 22 Jan. 2023
The fluid’s water and salivary proteins lubricate each mouthful of food, and its enzymes such as amylase and lipase kickstart the process of digestion.
—Chris Gorski, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2023
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fluid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Phrases Containing fluid
Dictionary Entries Near fluid
Cite this Entry
“Fluid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluid. Accessed 5 Feb. 2023.
Kids Definition
fluid
2 of 2 noun
Medical Definition
fluid
1 of 2 adjective
flu·id
ˈflü-əd 
: having particles that easily move and change their relative position without a separation of the mass and that easily yield to pressure : capable of flowing
fluid
2 of 2 noun
: a substance (as a liquid or gas) tending to flow or conform to the outline of its container
specifically
: one in the body of an animal or plant see cerebrospinal fluid, seminal fluid
More from Merriam-Webster on fluid
Nglish: Translation of fluid for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fluid for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fluid
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