conductivity

noun

con·​duc·​tiv·​i·​ty ˌkän-ˌdək-ˈti-və-tē 

kən-

plural conductivities

: the quality or power of conducting or transmitting: such as

a

: the reciprocal of electrical resistivity

b

: the quality of living matter responsible for the transmission of and progressive reaction to stimuli

Examples of conductivity in a Sentence

measuring the conductivity of different metals

Recent Examples on the Web

The meters use electrical conductivity or tensiometer tubes that measure the suction exerted by the soil on the water, which indicates the soil moisture available to plants. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026

Doping with the aluminum stuff boosted the mean conductivity by a factor of 10. —ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026

At 10%, performance dropped as excess ions formed clusters, increasing conductivity and causing charge leakage. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026

The science payload to be landed there includes seismometers, a drill to allow emplacement of heat flow and electrical conductivity probes, and instruments to study the magnetic field and surface weathering. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

conductive + -ity

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conductivity

• absorptivity
• affectivity
• collectivity
• connectivity
• corrosivity
• creativity
• diffusivity
• directivity
• effectivity
• emissivity
• exclusivity
• expressivity

Kids Definition

conductivity

noun

con·​duc·​tiv·​i·​ty ˌkän-ˌdək-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

kən-

plural conductivities

: the quality or power of conducting or transmitting

Medical Definition

conductivity

noun

con·​duc·​tiv·​i·​ty ˌkän-ˌdək-ˈtiv-ət-ē, kən- 

plural conductivities

: the quality or power of conducting or transmitting: as

a

: the reciprocal of electrical resistivity

b

: the quality of living matter responsible for the transmission of and progressive reaction to stimuli