Salinity: Definition, Measurement & Examples

Meaning 1：measure of saltiness (salinity)

salinity 🔊

/səˈlɪnəti/

A measure of how salty water is.

$Salinity measurement in a lab: scientist using a refractometer to test water salt concentration$

measure of saltiness 🔊

➕

/ˈmɛʒər əv ˈsɔltinəs/

The amount of salt dissolved in a liquid, typically water, expressed as a concentration.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'salinus' (salty) + '-ity' (state or condition).

💡 Mnemonic

SALinity contains SALt, indicating salt content.

📖 Example

The high salinity of the Dead Sea makes it very easy for people to float on its surface. 🔊 The high salinity of the Dead Sea makes it very easy for people to float on its surface.

🔗 Collocations

high salinity – a high level of salt content

salinity level – the measurement of salt concentration

ocean salinity – the saltiness of seawater

🔄 Synonyms

saltiness (n.) – the quality of being salty

brininess (n.) – the state of being briny or salty

salineness (n.) – the condition of being saline

🚫 Antonyms

freshness (n.) – the quality of being fresh, not salty

purity (n.) – the state of being pure, free from salt or impurities

🌱 Derivatives

saline (adj.) – containing salt; salty

desalination (n.) – the process of removing salt from water

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'sal' (salt). The term 'salinity' emerged in the 19th century for scientific use in oceanography and chemistry to quantify salt in water.