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

This sponge-like porosity – meaning lots of tiny holes inside – lets MOFs trap and release gases, store energy-rich fuels like hydrogen, and capture harmful pollutants. —Bohong Zhang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025

Soil Enrichment: As leaves break down, the porosity of the soil improves, allowing roots to penetrate more easily and retain more moisture. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025

By replacing this flawed model with one that accurately accounts for SANS physics, the team demonstrated that porosity has a negligible effect on reactor physics or criticality safety. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025

Frizz can be a factor depending on the porosity. —Talia Gutierrez, Glamour, 30 Sep. 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