density
/ˈdɛnsɪti/
noun
Origin
Latin
densus — thick, crowded, compact
Overview
Meaning Now
- The degree of compactness of a substance.
- The quantity of people or things in a given area or space.
- A measure of the quantity of some physical property per unit length, area, or volume.
Literal older meaning
the quality of being thick or crowded
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
densite
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term entered the English language during the transition from Middle English to Early Modern English, often used initially in scientific or philosophical contexts to describe the physical consistency of matter or the thickness of a material.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*dens-
“thick, crowded”
- Latin
densus
“thick, dense”
- Late Latin
densitas
“thickness, density”
- Old French
densité
“density”
- Middle English
densite
“thickness, opacity”
Connections
Word parts
dens-
root
thick
-ity
suffix
quality of
Related across languages
French
densité
density
Italian
densità
density
Explore next
Related to density
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.