saturate

1 of 2

verb

sat·​u·​rate ˈsa-chə-ˌrāt How to pronounce saturate (audio)
saturated; saturating

transitive verb

1
: to satisfy fully : satiate
2
: to treat, furnish, or charge with something to the point where no more can be absorbed, dissolved, or retained
water saturated with salt
3
a
: to fill completely with something that permeates or pervades
book is saturated with HollywoodNewgate Callendar
b
: to load to capacity
4
: to cause to combine until there is no further tendency to combine
saturator noun

saturate

2 of 2

adjective

sat·​u·​rate ˈsach-rət How to pronounce saturate (audio)
ˈsa-chə-
Choose the Right Synonym for saturate

soak, saturate, drench, steep, impregnate mean to permeate or be permeated with a liquid.

soak implies usually prolonged immersion as for softening or cleansing.

soak the garment in soapy water

saturate implies a resulting effect of complete absorption until no more liquid can be held.

a saturated sponge

drench implies a thorough wetting by something that pours down or is poured.

clothes drenched by a cloudburst

steep suggests either the extraction of an essence (as of tea leaves) by the liquid or the imparting of a quality (such as a color) to the thing immersed.

steep the tea for five minutes

impregnate implies a thorough interpenetration of one thing by another.

a cake strongly impregnated with brandy

Example Sentences

Verb Saturate the sponge with water. Images of the war saturated the news. Their new products are saturating the market. Adjective the test will only work if the sample cloth is saturate with solution
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
More:Michigan Blue Cross CEO Daniel Loepp earned $17M in cash in 2022 More:Surge of Michigan urgent cares may have saturated the market The Blue Cross defendants in the settlement denied any wrongdoing and insisted their actions in fact lowered health care costs. Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 1 June 2023 In a tech-savvy world saturated with filmmaking apps, does film school continue to hold value for aspiring writers, directors and producers? Malina Saval, Variety, 26 Apr. 2023 The vegetation was saturated with water — much more nutritious and palatable. Laura Manske, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023 The clasts can then react with water, producing a solution saturated with calcium. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 19 Apr. 2023 This spring, a series of strong storms pummeled the Central California coast and saturated the land within the Pajaro River watershed. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2023 The fact that menstrual fluid leaks around the tampon once it is saturated is further proof that the products do not block the flow, said Dr. Nash Moawad, chief of the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at the University of Florida Health. Molly Stellino, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2023 Coat the scalp and dry hair with olive oil until it’s fully saturated. Alena Hall, Verywell Health, 6 Mar. 2023 In the winter, covering keeps the compost from becoming saturated. oregonlive, 4 Mar. 2023
Adjective
On the other hand, some things saturate at very low levels. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Apr. 2021 The additional showers will threaten to further saturate hillsides already thoroughly soaked after weeks of wet weather, and flooding is expected in low-lying roads and urban areas that have poor drainage. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saturate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin saturatus, past participle of saturare, from satur well-fed — more at satire

First Known Use

Verb

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1782, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saturate was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near saturate

Cite this Entry

“Saturate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saturate. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

saturate

verb
sat·​u·​rate
ˈsach-ə-ˌrāt
saturated; saturating
1
: to soak or fill with something to the point where no more can be absorbed or dissolved
saturate water with salt
2
: to fill completely with something that penetrates : steep

Medical Definition

saturate

1 of 2 transitive verb
sat·​u·​rate ˈsach-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce saturate (audio)
saturated; saturating
1
: to treat, furnish, or charge with something to the point where no more can be absorbed, dissolved, or retained
water saturated with salt
a bandage saturated with blood
2
: to cause to combine until there is no further tendency to combine

saturate

2 of 2 noun
sat·​u·​rate -rət How to pronounce saturate (audio)
: a saturated chemical compound

More from Merriam-Webster on saturate

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