Density
/ˈdɛnsɪti/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe amount of something per unit of space (usually mass per unit volume).
/ˈdɛnsɪti/
The degree of compactness of a substance.
The density of the air affects the lift of an airplane.
💡 Simply: Imagine how crowded something is. Density is like how much 'stuff' is packed into a certain space. A heavy box is like a high-density object.
👶 For kids: How much 'stuff' is packed into a space. Like, if there are lots of kids in a small room, it has a high density!
More Examples
The scientists measured the density of the liquid.
The population density of the city is increasing.
How It's Used
"The density of a material is its mass per unit volume."
"High population density can strain city resources."
"Neutron stars are known for their incredible density."
The degree to which a group of people or things are close together.
/ˈdɛnsɪti/
The degree to which something is crowded.
The high density of traffic caused significant delays.
💡 Simply: Imagine how crowded something is. If there are a lot of things in a small place, that's a high density.
👶 For kids: How many things are in a space. If there are a lot of people in one place, that's a high density!
More Examples
The new housing project aims to reduce population density.
The density of trees in the forest made it difficult to walk through.
How It's Used
"The urban area has a high population density."
"The forest's tree density affects the amount of sunlight that reaches the ground."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From Middle French densité, from Latin dēnsitās, from densus (“thick, dense”).
The term 'density' has been used since the late 17th century, initially in the context of physics to describe the compactness of a substance.
Memory tip
Think of a crowded room (high density) versus an empty field (low density).
Word Origin
"thick, dense"