Saturation is the process or state that occurs when a place or thing is filled completely with people or things, so that no more can be added.
Reforms have led to the saturation of the market with goods. [+ of]
Road traffic has reached saturation point.
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Saturation is used to describe a campaign or other activity that is carried out very thoroughly, so that nothing is missed.
The concept of saturation marketing makes perfect sense.
Newspapers, television and radio are all providing saturation coverage.
...saturation bombing.
saturation in British English
(ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃən)
noun
1.
the act of saturating or the state of being saturated
2. chemistry
the state of a chemical compound, solution, or vapour when it is saturated
3. meteorology
the state of the atmosphere when it can hold no more water vapour at its particular temperature and pressure, the relative humidity then being 100 per cent
4.
the attribute of a colour that enables an observer to judge its proportion of pure chromatic colour
See also colour
5. physics
the state of a ferromagnetic material in which it is fully magnetized. The magnetic domains are then all fully aligned
6. electronics
the state of a valve or semiconductor device that is carrying the maximum current of which it is capable and is therefore unresponsive to further increases of input signal
7.
the level beyond which demand for a product or service is not expected to increase
modifier
8.
denoting the maximum possible intensity of coverage of an area
saturation bombing
a saturation release of a film
saturation in American English
(ˌsætʃəˈreɪʃən)
noun
1.
a saturating or being saturated
2.
the degree of purity of a color, as measured by its freedom from mixture with white; intensity of hue
3.
the condition of a magnetic substance that has been magnetized to the maximum
Word origin
LL saturatio
Examples of 'saturation' in a sentence
saturation
Who is going to decide when saturation point has been reached?
Joanna Blythman SHOPPED: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets (2004)
Colour saturation is strong and application is easy and precise.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Many of the groups have merged as hard times hit and the sector reaches saturation point.
The Sun (2010)
There is no such thing as a saturation point.
Christianity Today (2000)
Celebrity autobiographies have also surely reached saturation point by now.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But there must come a saturation point.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Our isolation is also a benefit in the summer when other parts of the area get to saturation point.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But has it reached saturation point?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Better optics make for sharper images, with richer contrast and colour saturation.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
He came up with the idea as coverage reached saturation point during the recent Democratic convention.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The beauty advisor simply places it against your face to take readings assessing tone, colour saturation and lightness.
The Sun (2012)
TRACKS oxygen saturation, blood pressure and heart activity via an internal sensor.
The Sun (2015)
The relatively recent saturation coverage of football may partly explain the phenomenon, with cameras catching substitutes in the act of crossing themselves before coming on the pitch.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In particular, one of the demands is for richer colours, and the main technologicalimprovements been to give better colour saturation without increasing overall contrast.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
In other languages
saturation
British English: saturation NOUN
Saturation is the process or state that occurs when a place or thing is filled completely with people or things, so that no more can be added.
Reforms have led to the saturation of the market with goods.
American English: saturation
Brazilian Portuguese: saturação
Chinese: 饱和
European Spanish: saturación
French: saturation
German: Sättigung
Italian: saturazione
Japanese: 飽和
Korean: 포화 상태
European Portuguese: saturação
Latin American Spanish: saturación
All related terms of 'saturation'
saturation bombing
extensive bombing of targets to the maximum possible intensity
saturation diving
a method of diving in which divers live in a complex of decompression chambers for up to 28 days, going to work via a diving bell , and only decompressing at the end of the period. Helium is substituted for nitrogen in the air supply to avoid the narcotic effects of nitrogen
saturation point
the point at which no more (people, things, ideas, etc) can be absorbed , accommodated , used, etc
saturation coverage
news coverage (of an event, etc) that is very thorough in order not to miss any details