saturation
noun
sat·u·ra·tion
ˌsa-chə-ˈrā-shən 
1
a
: 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: 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
4
a
: 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
As models approach saturation—where many achieve near-max scores—the value of standard benchmarks further diminishes.
—
Ryan Kolln, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Researchers propose redefining the ocean acidification boundary to a 10% decline from the pre-industrial saturation state to better protect marine biodiversity.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Data provided to the Herald shows that the Massachusetts State Police conducted 26 sobriety checkpoints and 40 saturation patrols between December 2023 and September 2024, totaling 7,187 hours of enforcement activity and issuing over 11,000 citations and written warnings to drivers.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 6 June 2025
However, his blood oxygen saturation continued to fall.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for saturation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Ryan Kolln, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Researchers propose redefining the ocean acidification boundary to a 10% decline from the pre-industrial saturation state to better protect marine biodiversity.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Data provided to the Herald shows that the Massachusetts State Police conducted 26 sobriety checkpoints and 40 saturation patrols between December 2023 and September 2024, totaling 7,187 hours of enforcement activity and issuing over 11,000 citations and written warnings to drivers.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 6 June 2025
However, his blood oxygen saturation continued to fall.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for saturation
Cite this Entry
“Saturation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saturation. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
saturation
noun
sat·u·ra·tion
ˌsach-ə-ˈrā-shən
1
: the act or process of saturating
2
: the state of being saturated
Medical Definition
saturation
noun
sat·u·ra·tion
ˌsach-ə-ˈrā-shən
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
4
a
: 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
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