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relative humidity
noun
: the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually present in the air to the greatest amount possible at the same temperature
Examples of relative humidity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The minimum relative humidity will also remain at about 10 to 15%, the service said, a combination of factors that makes wildfire outbreaks all the more likely.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024
Because of well above normal temperatures and low relative humidity and strong gusty winds, parts of the region are under a red flag warning, meaning that any fires that start could spread quickly and be difficult to control.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024
The relative humidity in this region has been decreasing as well, Dr. Nielsen-Gammon said.
—Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
The nonprofit group Climate Central calculated how the number of fire weather days has shifted in communities across the United States from 1973 to 2022, using weather station data and measures of temperature, wind and relative humidity.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
Heat indexes – a measure of what the temperature feels like on the skin when accounting for relative humidity – are expected to be between 105 and 110 degrees on Friday, particularly over the mid-Atlantic and Central Plains.
—Aya Elamroussi, CNN, 28 July 2023
The relative humidity will fall to 15 percent to 20 percent across inland valleys, foothills and mountains and 10 percent in the deserts.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Oct. 2023
Researchers are increasingly moving away from measurements that include just a few variables, such as the heat index (which is calculated using just relative humidity and temperature), toward ones that incorporate complex meteorological data into human physiology and behavior models.
—Amanda Heidt, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024
Weather on the night of Jan. 1 provided the perfect recipe for the creation of surface hoar: clear and cold skies, high relative humidity and calm winds, according to Brandon Schwartz, director and lead avalanche forecaster for the Sierra Avalanche Center in rugged Tahoe National Forest.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relative humidity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1819, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of relative humidity was
in 1819
Dictionary Entries Near relative humidity
Cite this Entry
“Relative humidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relative%20humidity. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Kids Definition
relative humidity
noun
: the amount of water vapor actually present in the air compared to the greatest amount possible at the same temperature
Medical Definition
relative humidity
noun
: the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually present in the air to the greatest amount possible at the same temperature compare absolute humidity
More from Merriam-Webster on relative humidity
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about relative humidity
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