LIQUID Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com (original) (raw)

adjective

1. composed of molecules that move freely among themselves but do not tend to separate like those of gases; neither gaseous nor solid.
2. of, relating to, or consisting of liquids.

   a liquid diet.

3. flowing like water.
4. clear, transparent, or bright.

   liquid eyes.

5. (of sounds, tones, etc.) smooth; agreeable; flowing freely.

   the liquid voice of a trained orator.

6. in cash or readily convertible into cash without significant loss of principal.

   liquid assets.

7. Phonetics. characterizing a frictionless speech sound pronounced with only a partial obstruction of the breath stream and whose utterance can be prolonged as that of a vowel, especially l and r.
8. (of movements, gestures, etc.) graceful; smooth; free and unconstricted.

   the ballerina's liquid arabesques.

noun

1. a liquid substance.
2. Phonetics. either r or l, and sometimes m, n, ng.

liquid British

/ ˈlɪkwɪd /

noun

1. a substance in a physical state in which it does not resist change of shape but does resist change of size Compare gas solid
2. a substance that is a liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure
3. phonetics a frictionless continuant, esp ( l ) or ( r )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

1. of, concerned with, or being a liquid or having the characteristic state of liquids

   liquid wax

2. shining, transparent, or brilliant
3. flowing, fluent, or smooth
4. (of assets) in the form of money or easily convertible into money

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

liquid Scientific

/ lĭk′wĭd /

1. One of four main states of matter, composed of molecules that can move about in a substance but are bound loosely together by intramolecular forces. Unlike a solid, a liquid has no fixed shape, but instead has a characteristic readiness to flow and therefore takes on the shape of any container. Because pressure transmitted at one point is passed on to other points, a liquid usually has a volume that remains constant or changes only slightly under pressure, unlike a gas.

1. A phase of matter in which atoms or molecules can move freely while remaining in contact with one another. A liquid takes the shape of its container. (Compare gas and solid.)

Related Words

Liquid, fluid agree in referring to matter that is not solid. Liquid commonly refers to substances, as water, oil, alcohol, and the like, that are neither solids nor gases: Water ceases to be a liquid when it is frozen or turned to steam. Fluid is applied to anything that flows, whether liquid or gaseous: Pipes can carry fluids from place to place.

Other Word Forms

• liquidly adverb
• liquidness noun
• nonliquid adjective
• nonliquidly adverb
• unliquid adjective

Etymology

Origin of liquid

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English liquyd, from Latin liquidus, equivalent to liqu(ēre) “to be liquid” + -idus -id 4

Explanation

In everyday use, liquid is the opposite of _solid_––water at room temperature is a liquid: Heat it to boiling, it turns to a gas. Chill it below freezing, it turns to ice. Liquid describes a state in which a compound such as water flows. Juice is a liquid. Milk is a liquid. Your swimming pool is full of liquid. When assets are liquid, that means they can be liquidated easily, i.e., sold for cash. Stocks and bonds are liquid assets. Real estate, which can take a long time to sell, is considered illiquid.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing liquid

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Materials that change phase to absorb heat, like wax or salicylic acid, usually from solid to liquid, then return to normal when the temperature is reduced.

FromThe Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Rather, funds like the leveraged “DRAM” product are designed around “the ease of trading in and out of daily liquid ETFs,” he said.

FromMarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Spray foam is a chemical product made from two materials which, when combined, expand to 30 - 60 times their liquid volume, filling gaps and hard-to-reach spaces.

FromBBC • May 10, 2026

The study, published in Science Advances in 2023, builds on earlier work by physicist Kostya Trachenko and colleagues showing that liquid viscosity is tied directly to fundamental physical constants.

FromScience Daily • May 8, 2026

I always feel confident when I put it on—when it isn’t covered in cold green liquid, anyway.

From"Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.