salinity
n.n. the amount of salt in a liquid, like water. You use this word to describe how salty the ocean or a swimming pool is.
n. the concentration of dissolved salts in a solution, typically measured in parts per thousand. Often used in the context of oceanography or aquatic biology.
The salinity of the ocean is much higher than that of a lake.
Fish in the Great Salt Lake have adapted to survive in water with extremely high salinity.
Marine biologists monitor the salinity of coastal waters to track the impact of freshwater runoff from melting glaciers on local ecosystems.
From saline + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 18, 2026