# sedimentation

/ˌsɛdəmənˈteɪʃən/ (US) · /sˌɛdɪməntˈeɪʃən/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sedimentation
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Definition

the slow settling of tiny solid pieces to the bottom of a liquid. You see it when sand sinks in water and forms a layer.

For teachers: the process by which suspended particles settle out of a fluid and accumulate as sediment. Extends from geological deposition to laboratory and water-treatment separation.

## Examples

- Sedimentation leaves a thin layer of sand at the bottom.
- The plant uses large tanks where sedimentation removes mud from river water before filtering.
- After the flood receded, geologists studied patterns of sedimentation across the plain to reconstruct how currents had sorted silt from coarser gravel.

## Synonyms

settling, deposition

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