buoyancy
n.the ability of an object to float in a liquid or gas. It is the force that pushes an object upward when it is submerged.
n.the ability of an object to float in a fluid, resulting from the upward force exerted by the fluid. Often used to describe the physical property of a material or the financial stability of an economy.
“The boat has good buoyancy and stays high in the water.”
“The ship's hull is designed to provide enough buoyancy to prevent it from sinking even if the cargo compartment fills with water.”
“Economists often monitor the buoyancy of the housing market to determine whether a recovery is sustainable or merely a temporary fluctuation in consumer confidence.”
“To create a split-level image, he turned his camera upside down to aid buoyancy distribution and slowly moved towards the curious fish.”
“By adjusting their size, the larvae can change their buoyancy and control whether they rise or sink in the lake.”
From buoyant + -cy or buoy + -ancy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.