saturation

noun

sat·​u·​ra·​tion ˌsa-chə-ˈrā-shən 

1

a

: the act of saturating : the state of being saturated

b

: satiety, surfeit

2

: conversion of an unsaturated to a saturated chemical compound (as by hydrogenation)

3

: a state of maximum impregnation: such as

a

: complete infiltration : permeation

b

: the presence in air of the most water possible under existent pressure and temperature

c

: magnetization to the point beyond which a further increase in the intensity of the magnetizing force will produce no further magnetization

4

a

: chromatic purity : freedom from dilution with white

b(1)

: degree of difference from the gray having the same lightness

—used of an object color

(2)

: degree of difference from the achromatic light-source color of the same brightness

—used of a light-source color compare hue sense 2c

5

: the supplying of a market with as much of a product as it will absorb

6

: an overwhelming concentration of military forces or firepower

Examples of saturation in a Sentence

Heavy rains resulted in the saturation of the soil.

the saturation of advertising on television

Recent Examples on the Web

Sales growth has been mired in the single digits for four straight quarters as the company reckons with the challenges of saturation in its key market of customer relationship management software. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025

This construction, paired with an automatic helium escape valve integrated into the crown, allows the watch to endure prolonged saturation diving without damaging its seals or movement. —Matthew Catellier, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

That said, the screen should still be fine for basic photo edits such as cropping, resizing, and global changes to brightness, contrast, and/or saturation. —PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025

This year, the saturation is showing. —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing saturation

• saturation bombing
• saturation point

Rhymes for saturation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

saturation

noun

sat·​u·​ra·​tion ˌsach-ə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: the act or process of saturating

2

: the state of being saturated

Medical Definition

saturation

noun

sat·​u·​ra·​tion ˌsach-ə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: the act of saturating : the state of being saturated

2

: conversion of an unsaturated to a saturated chemical compound (as by hydrogenation)

3

: a state of maximum impregnation

especially : the presence in air of the most water possible under existent pressure and temperature

4

a

: the one of the three psychological dimensions of color perception that is related to the purity of the color and that decreases as the amount of white present in the stimulus increases

called also intensity

compare brightness, hue

b(1)

: degree of difference from the gray having the same lightness

—used of an object color

(2)

: degree of difference from the achromatic light-source color of the same brightness

—used of a light-source color