density

[ den-si-tee ]
See synonyms for density on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural den·si·ties.
  1. the state or quality of being dense; compactness; closely set or crowded condition.

  2. stupidity; slow-wittedness; obtuseness.

  1. the number of inhabitants, dwellings, or the like, per unit area: The commissioner noted that the population density of certain city blocks had fallen dramatically.

  2. Physics. mass per unit volume.

  3. Electricity.

    • the quantity of electricity per unit of volume at a point in space, or the quantity per unit of area at a point on a surface.

  4. the degree of opacity of a substance, medium, etc., that transmits light.

  5. Photography. the relative degree of opacity of an area of a negative or transparency, often expressed logarithmically.

  6. Computers. a measure of the compactness of data saved on a storage medium, as disk or tape, or displayed on an electronic screen.

Origin of density

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin dēnsitās, equivalent to dēns(us) dense + -itās -ity

Other words from density

  • non·den·si·ty, noun
  • su·per·den·si·ty, noun

Words Nearby density

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use density in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for density

density

/ (ˈdɛnsɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. the degree to which something is filled, crowded, or occupied: high density of building in towns

  2. obtuseness; stupidity

  1. a measure of the compactness of a substance, expressed as its mass per unit volume. It is measured in kilograms per cubic metre or pounds per cubic foot: Symbol: ρ See also relative density

  2. a measure of a physical quantity per unit of length, area, or volume: See charge density, current density

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for density

density

[ dĕnsĭ-tē ]


  1. A measure of the quantity of some physical property (usually mass) per unit length, area, or volume (usually volume).Mass density is a measure of the mass of a substance per unit volume. Most substances (especially gases such as air) increase in density as their pressure is increases or as their temperature decreases.Energy density is a measure of the amount of energy (often in the form of electromagnetic radiation) per unit volume in a region of space or some material. See also Boyle's law.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for density

density

The relative heaviness of objects, measured in units of mass or weight per units of volume. (See specific gravity.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.