supersaturated

adjective

su·​per·​sat·​u·​rat·​ed ˌsü-pər-ˈsa-chə-ˌrā-təd 

: containing an amount of a substance greater than that required for saturation as a result of having been cooled from a higher temperature to a temperature below that at which saturation occurs

a supersaturated solution

air supersaturated with water vapor

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

But this show deftly plucks this familiar trait from the supersaturated solution in which it is usually immersed (her biography, her legend) and deposits it in the one that really matters: her working process. —Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 11 May 2023

His supersaturated colors intensify and distort the usual expectations of color photography. —Vulture, 6 Jan. 2023

As in many of Kha’s pictures, a tenderly sunlit strain of Lynchian surrealism brings his themes of dislocation, domesticity, identity, and masquerade into gorgeous, supersaturated relief. —Johanna Fateman, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2022

Then the pandemic hit, and the conversation about work became even (rightfully) more supersaturated with words like compassion, people-first policies, work-life balance, and empathetic management. —Lila Maclellan, Quartz, 9 May 2022

But the punishing need to stay relevant in a supersaturated market is also fueling severe burnout. —Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2021

The project aims to raise Urmia’s levels by an additional 3 meters, which planners say would reduce the lake’s salinity from its present supersaturated state—about 350 grams of salt per liter of water—to between 240 and 285 grams per liter. —Richard Stone, Science | AAAS, 29 Apr. 2021

Using the scientific method, discover the properties of solids, liquids and gases, and make clever concoctions, mysterious mixtures and supersaturated solutions. —Anchorage Daily News, 21 Apr. 2021

The sky above appears to flatten on the same plane as the rest of the ceiling, while supersaturated tones of light infuse the room below. —Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Apr. 2021

See More

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

supersaturated

adjective

su·​per·​sat·​u·​rat·​ed ˌsü-pər-ˈsach-ə-ˌrāt-əd 

: containing an amount of something greater than the amount required for saturation by having been cooled from a higher temperature to a temperature below that at which saturation occurs

a supersaturated solution

air supersaturated with water vapor