porosity

noun

po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈrä-sə-tē 

pȯ-

plural porosities

1

a

: the quality or state of being porous

b

: the ratio of the volume of interstices of a material to the volume of its mass

2

: pore

Examples of porosity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ahead, the best leave-in conditioners for curly hair—sorted by curl type and concern—for breakage, frizz, low porosity, and more. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2025

Someone who is Caucasian with straight, bleached hair, for example, may actually benefit from the same products as someone who is Black with high-porosity coils. —Hendra Jacobs, Allure, 23 Dec. 2025

The final product involves a lightweight shell that features an asymmetrical porosity. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Dec. 2025

The Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk’s fiction is known for its interest in the porosity of boundaries—between nations, between ethnicities, between fiction and reality, consciousness and dreams. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for porosity

• atrocity
• ferocity
• monstrosity
• pomposity
• precocity
• schistosity
• velocity
• verbosity
• viscosity
• animosity
• curiosity
• generosity

Kids Definition

porosity

noun

po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈräs-ət-ē 

pōr-ˈäs-, 

pȯ-ˈräs-

plural porosities

: the quality or state of being porous

Medical Definition

porosity

noun

po·​ros·​i·​ty pə-ˈräs-ət-ē, pō-, pȯ- 

plural porosities

1

a

: the quality or state of being porous

b

: the ratio of the volume of interstices of a material to the volume of its mass

2

: pore