noun

density

/ˈdɛnsɪti/ · say it: DEN·suh·tee

the amount of mass in a given volume

In Science & Nature

In more detail

1. (noun) the amount of mass or substance contained in a particular volume of something

2. (noun) the number of people or things in a particular area or space

3. (noun) the quality of being closely compacted or thick

Examples

1. Water has a higher density than oil, so oil floats on top.
2. The population density in cities is much higher than in rural areas.
3. The density of the forest made it difficult to walk through.

How to use density

Density is used in both scientific and everyday contexts to describe how tightly packed or concentrated something is. In physics and chemistry, it refers to mass per unit volume; in geography and urban planning, it refers to population or infrastructure concentration; more broadly, it describes visual or tactile thickness. The term is objective and measurable.

Common phrases

high density
low density
population density
bone density
energy density
density of traffic

Synonyms

concentration · compactness · thickness · mass per unit volume · crowding

Opposites

sparseness · thinness · rarity

Word family

dense (adjective) · densely (adverb) · denseness (noun)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse density with mere thickness; density specifically involves the relationship between mass (or quantity) and the space it occupies, not size alone.

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