Meaning & use

density

noun·Academic

The mass of a substance per unit of its volume, or, more generally, how tightly packed something is.

See it in a sentence

Lead has a much higher density than aluminum, so it feels far heavier for its size.

The city's housing density has increased sharply as more apartment buildings were constructed.

A note on using this word

In physics, density is calculated as mass divided by volume; in everyday use, it more loosely describes crowdedness or concentration.

Words with a similar meaning

compactness

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “density”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.