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

The Wazir Khan Mosque, through its tiled decoration, has taught me invaluable lessons in hue saturation, while the frescoes at the Mariam Zamani Mosque have been my mentors in understanding color balance. —Sonya Rehman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

The Index tracks a bunch of metrics, including sleep duration, sleep stages (light, deep, and REM sleep), heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, breathing variations, and skin temperature changes. —Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 19 June 2025

Its balanced weight and intense color saturation give it a sophisticated and durable character. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 June 2025

Color Grading — The second step of the color process, in which a colorist manually alters parts of each image to increase or reduce saturation, shadows, or other elements in order to achieve the director’s stylistic vision. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 June 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