Meaning & use
non-porous
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Not allowing liquid or air to pass through because there are no tiny holes.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a non-porous surface; the surface is non-porous.
Patterns
- a non-porous surface
- non-porous material
- non-porous to water
Glass and glazed tiles are non-porous, so water simply runs off them.
Choose a non-porous worktop for the kitchen to keep bacteria out.
The coating makes the fabric non-porous and waterproof.
Common combinations
- non-porous surface
- Wipe the non-porous surface with a damp cloth.
- non-porous material
- Plastic is a cheap non-porous material for food containers.
- non-porous to water
- The sealant is non-porous to water but lets air through.
- smooth and non-porous
- The countertop is smooth and non-porous, which makes cleaning easy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- impermeable
- Impermeable is a technical word meaning no liquid or gas can pass through at all; non-porous is close in meaning but focuses on the absence of tiny holes.
- waterproof
- Waterproof means water cannot get in, but it does not say anything about air or other substances; non-porous describes the structure of the material.
- sealed
- Sealed means a surface has been closed off, often by a coating, while non-porous describes the material itself.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: non-porous or non-pervious?
non-porous vs non-pervious
Non-pervious means the same as impermeable and is very rare; non-porous is the common word for surfaces such as tiles and glass.
Practice
Which sentence uses non-porous correctly?
Choose one answer.
Non-porous means liquid cannot pass through, so a tile that does not absorb water fits. Option 1 is wrong because a sponge that soaks up water must be porous, and option 3 contradicts the meaning by letting liquid through.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-porous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.