headspace

noun head·space \ ˈhed-ˌspās \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

Definition of headspace

1 : the volume above a liquid or solid in a closed container

The demonstrator suggests that the slow leakage of hydrogen from the balloons … allowed for the accumulation of hydrogen and oxygen in the bag's headspace.
—Chemical and Engineering News

To process sauce, immediately ladle hot sauce into hot, clean half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
—Better Homes and Gardens

2 : vertical space in which to stand, sit, or move : headroom

The sleeping area [of a tiny house] looks restful and thanks to the curved roof, probably has more headspace than most …
—Kimberly Mok

3 informal : mind-set, frame of mind

"It's difficult to tell how people have changed," says Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien. "But Thom's been in a better headspace for quite a few years."
—Brian Raftery

Recent Examples of headspace from the Web

There’s also an internal storage shelf area of two square feet that can be configured on either the right or the left of your headspace for maximum convenience.

— rebecca straus, Sunset, "10 Super-Comfy Camping Hammocks," 22 Jan. 2018
Honnold and Caldwell climbed the Nose yesterday, intentionally moving at a more casual pace to get a feel for how the deaths affected their headspace.

— matt skenazy, Outside Online, "Caldwell and Honnold Break the Nose Record. Again.," 4 June 2018
Unsweetened: Pack blanched rhubarb tightly into containers, leaving half-inch headspace.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow The Most Pie-Worthy Rhubarb Ever," 30 Mar. 2017
All of that, coming at you all of the time, doesn’t give you a lot of headspace to think of anything other than yourself.

— National Geographic, "Meet the ‘Difficult’ Women Who Wrote Their Own Rules," 12 May 2018
Poll will help others ID their anxiety and find healthy solutions to getting in a happier headspace.

— jessica migala, Woman's Day, "Why Anxiety Makes You Eat — And What to Do About It," 2 May 2018
The soft strings of this romantic intro will wake you into a pleasant and thoughtful headspace.

— kat bein, Billboard, "10 Dance Songs About Waking Up," 18 Jan. 2018
Using a wide-mouth funnel and filling one jar at a time, ladle the marmalade into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

— Country Living, "Orange-Cardamom Marmalade," 26 July 2010
But maybe there is something to be said about the headspace of an LGBTQ athlete.

— justin kirkland, Esquire, "This Olympics, Gus Kenworthy Has Nothing to Hide," 9 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'headspace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.