Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Thoroughly soaked; holding as much liquid or moisture as can be absorbed: Describes a material or substance that has absorbed the maximum possible amount of another substance, typically a liquid.
   • Chemistry: Having all available valence bonds filled, especially with hydrogen: Used to describe organic compounds, particularly fats, where the carbon atoms are bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible.
   • Optics/Color: Being chromatically pure; not diluted with white, gray, or black: Describes a color at its fullest intensity or hue.
   • Chemistry: Being the most concentrated solution possible at a given temperature; unable to dissolve more solute: Describes a solution in which no more of a substance can be dissolved under the existing conditions.

Usage Examples

• General (soaked):
  • The ground was completely saturated after three days of heavy rain.
  • He used a cloth saturated with oil to clean the machine.
• Chemistry (compounds/fats):
  • Butter contains more saturated fat than olive oil.
  • A saturated hydrocarbon has only single bonds between carbon atoms.
• Color:
  • The artist used a saturated blue to paint the deep ocean.
  • The photo editing software allows you to adjust the saturated colors.
• Chemistry (solution):
  • The chemist prepared a saturated solution of salt in water.
  • When no more sugar will dissolve, the tea becomes a saturated solution.

Advanced Usage

• "Saturated market": An economic term describing a market where there is no new demand for a product or service, as it is entirely supplied.
  • The smartphone market in many developed countries is now considered saturated.
• "Saturated with information": Overwhelmed or filled to capacity with information.
  • In the digital age, we are often saturated with news and data.

Variants and Related Words

• Saturate (verb): To cause something to become thoroughly soaked or filled.
  • The rain began to saturate the dry soil.
• Saturation (noun): The state or process of being saturated.
  • The saturation of the market led to fierce competition.
• Unsaturated (adjective): The opposite state; not saturated. In chemistry, it refers to compounds with double or triple bonds capable of adding more atoms.
  • Avocados are a good source of unsaturated fats.

Synonyms

• Soaked: Thoroughly wet.
• Drenched: Wet through and through.
• Concentrated: Of a solution, having a high proportion of solute.
• Pure (color): Undiluted, vivid.
• Full (chemistry): Having all bonds filled.

Antonyms

• Dry: Free from moisture.
• Diluted: Weakened by adding another substance.
• Unsaturated: Not saturated; in chemistry, having double/triple bonds.
• Pale (color): Light in color; lacking intensity.

Adjective

1. (of color) being chromatically pure; not diluted with white or grey or black
2. used especially of organic compounds; having all available valence bonds filled
   • saturated fats
3. being the most concentrated solution possible at a given temperature; unable to dissolve still more of a substance
   • a saturated solution