hydrophilic
adjective
hy·dro·phil·ic
ˌhī-drə-ˈfi-lik 
: of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water
hydrophilic proteins
Examples of hydrophilic in a Sentence
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Langmuir showed that the molecules oriented themselves in a consistent way, looking like little tadpoles with the hydrophilic head, the end that likes water, toward the water, and the hydrophobic tail, the end that dislikes water, sticking up into the air.
—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Biodegradable silks can be made hydrophilic or hydrophobic depending on the application, and Spiber has overcome the initial shrinkage problem in silk fibers using amino acid modification.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Exposure to the alkaline solution causes pollen’s constituent polymers to become more hydrophilic, or water-loving, so depending on the conditions, the gel will swell or shrink due to the absorption or expulsion of water, explains Ibrahim.
—Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
That denaturation continues during a third fermentation, when the proteins break down into fragments with hydrophobic and hydrophilic ends, reducing surface tensions.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2025
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Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
Biodegradable silks can be made hydrophilic or hydrophobic depending on the application, and Spiber has overcome the initial shrinkage problem in silk fibers using amino acid modification.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Exposure to the alkaline solution causes pollen’s constituent polymers to become more hydrophilic, or water-loving, so depending on the conditions, the gel will swell or shrink due to the absorption or expulsion of water, explains Ibrahim.
—Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
That denaturation continues during a third fermentation, when the proteins break down into fragments with hydrophobic and hydrophilic ends, reducing surface tensions.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hydrophilic
Cite this Entry
“Hydrophilic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrophilic. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hydrophilic
1 of 2 adjective
hy·dro·phil·ic
-ˈfil-ik
: of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water
hydrophilic colloids swell in water and are relatively stable
soft contact lenses are made of hydrophilic plastic, which absorbs water
compare lipophilic, lyophilic, oleophilic
hydrophilic
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
