hydrophilicity

8.1

A quality that makes a material attract or absorb water

noun
/ˌhaɪdrəˌfɪlˈɪsɪti/

Specialized

: hidrofobicidad

Scientists measured the hydrophilicity of the new coating to see how well it attracts water.

Examples

The hydrophilicity of the fabric makes it ideal for sportswear that absorbs sweat.
Increasing the hydrophilicity of a surface can help prevent water from forming droplets.
The hydrophilicity of this material makes it ideal for wet environments.
What is the hydrophilicity of the new polymer?
The hydrophilicity of the fabric makes it ideal for sportswear that absorbs sweat.
Scientists measured the hydrophilicity of the new coating to see how well it attracts water.
The hydrophilicity of this material makes it highly effective in humid conditions.

Synonyms

absorbency

vshydrophilicity

3 4.8

The amount of liquid a material soaks up

is about attraction to water rather than only soaking capacity

wettability

vshydrophilicity

Specialized

7.6

How well a liquid stays on a surface or spreads across it

focuses on surface contact and spreading rather than water attraction or absorption

Antonyms

hydrophobicity

Specialized

1 8.6

A tendency to push water away rather than soak it in

How Water-Loving

hydrophilicity

Specialized

8.1

nonhydrophobic

Specialized

6.6

hydrophobicity

Specialized

1 8.6

Surface Forms

hydrophilicity singular

hydrophilicities plural

Morphology

hydrophilicity = hydrophilic (semi-transparent) = hydro + phil + ic + ity

The noun is formed regularly from the adjective 'hydrophilic' with the standard suffix -ity.

Etymology

The word hydrophilicity comes from hydro- meaning 'water', like in hydrate, and -phil- meaning 'love' or 'attract', like in philosophy ('love of wisdom'). So, hydrophilicity literally means a 'love of water', which explains why something with this property attracts or soaks up water easily.