saturation

noun

sat·u·ra·tion | \ ˌsa-chə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of saturation

1a : 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

4a : 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

But skincare, like makeup, could soon reach its own saturation point, as consumers shift from expensive, multi-step routines to a handful of reliable products. — Sangeeta Singh-kurtz, Quartzy, "Ulta is struggling because of your boring beauty routine," 30 Aug. 2019 Will its opening officially mark the food hall saturation point for the Denver metro area? — Allyson Reedy, The Know, "These new Denver restaurants — coming soon — are worth getting excited about," 15 Aug. 2019 Gambling experts say the southern New England gambling market may be reaching a saturation point, or possibly even passed it. — Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "MGM’s lawsuit raises the stakes in Connecticut casino battle," 9 Aug. 2019 Now, the market may have finally reached a saturation point. — Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "The restaurant boom in metro Detroit is over. Here's why," 25 July 2019 Given the saturation of the market around men’s football, with plenty of industries—generally bookmakers and brewers—incessantly targeting the same audience, the opportunities in women’s football are considerable. — Fox News, "French mayor dies after trying to stop illegal dumping: report," 8 Aug. 2019 But even the rain lovers among us are reaching a point of saturation. — Washington Post, "Heavy rains can damage a vegetable garden — but the gardener can protect it," 24 July 2019 Tarantino is still practicing a cinema of saturation, demanding the audience’s total attention and bombarding us with allusions, visual jokes, flights of profane eloquence, daubs of throwaway beauty and gobs of premeditated gore. — New York Times, "‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ Review: We Lost It at the Movies," 24 July 2019 As these wildfires might pile up, you’re going to reach a point of saturation very quickly, where either ratepayers can’t pay their bills, shareholders won’t buy the stock and on down the line. — Taryn Luna, latimes.com, "Utility customers will pay $10.5 billion for California wildfire costs under bill sent to Newsom," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saturation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

8 Sep 2019

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The first known use of saturation was circa 1554

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More Definitions for saturation

saturation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of saturation

: the act or result of making something very wet

: the act or result of supplying so much of something that no more is wanted

: the act of using military force over a whole area

See the full definition for saturation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

saturation

noun

sat·u·ra·tion | \ ˌsach-ə-ˈrā-shən

Medical Definition of saturation

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

4a : 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