efflorescence

noun

ef·​flo·​res·​cence ˌe-flə-ˈre-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce efflorescence (audio)
1
a
: the action or process of developing and unfolding as if coming into flower : blossoming
periods of … intellectual and artistic efflorescenceJulian Huxley
b
: an instance of such development
c
: fullness of manifestation : culmination
2
: the period or state of flowering
3
: the process or product of efflorescing chemically
efflorescent adjective

Did you know?

When Edgar Allan Poe spoke of an "efflorescence of language" in The Poetic Principle, he was referring to language that was flowery, or overly rich and colorful. This ties in to the garden roots of efflorescence, a word, like "flourish," that comes from the Latin word for "flower." More commonly, however, "efflorescence" refers to the literal or figurative act of blossoming much like a flower does. You could speak of "the efflorescence of nature in springtime," for example, or "the efflorescence of culture during the Renaissance." "Efflorescence" is also used in chemistry to refer to a process that occurs when something changes to a powder from loss of water of crystallization.

Examples of efflorescence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With the efflorescence of Christianity, a religion rooted in the Old Testament, through the Septuagint, knowledge of the temple spread. Lynn Whidden, Scientific American, 26 July 2024 The suave, dapper figures in Motley’s pictures are among the 6 million people who escaped to large northern cities from the Jim Crow South during the Great Migration, creating the conditions for an artistic efflorescence across the country and beyond. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2024 This efflorescence of Russian culture was stimulated by contact with European ideas and European works of art. Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 19 June 2023 At the time, Benzion was a largely unknown and quasi-mystical interpreter of the Iberian Inquisition—which, for him, represented the perennial efflorescence of antisemitism as a racialized (and hence ineradicable) phenomenon. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for efflorescence 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'efflorescence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of efflorescence was in 1626

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Dictionary Entries Near efflorescence

effloresce

efflorescence

effluence

Cite this Entry

“Efflorescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/efflorescence. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

efflorescence

noun
ef·​flo·​res·​cence ˌef-lə-ˈres-ᵊn(t)s How to pronounce efflorescence (audio)
1
: the process of efflorescing
also : the powder or crust so formed
2
: a redness of the skin or an eruption (as in a rash)
efflorescent adjective

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