Meanings
nounabsorbance (countable and uncountable, plural absorbances)
plural absorbances
- countableuncountablenatural sciencesA logarithmic measure of the amount of light that is absorbed when passing through a substance; the capacity of a substance to absorb light of a given wavelength; optical density.First known use First attested in the mid 20ᵗʰ century.
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(physics) a measure of the extent to which a substance transmits light or other electromagnetic radiation
Similar
optical densitytransmission densityphotographic density
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
- Proto-Italic*ap
- Latinab
- Latinab-
- Proto-Indo-European*srebʰ-
- Proto-Indo-European*srobʰéyeti
- Proto-Italic*sorβeō
- Latinsorbeō
- Latinabsorbeō
- Old Frenchassorbir
- Middle Frenchabsorber
- Englishabsorb
- Englishabsorbance
Translations
Dutch absorbantie, optische dichtheid
- absorbantielogarithmic measure
- optische dichtheidlogarithmic measure
Estonian neelduvus
- neelduvuslogarithmic measure
Finnish absorbanssi
- absorbanssilogarithmic measure
German Absorbanz
- Absorbanzlogarithmic measure
Indonesian absorbans, absorbansi
- absorbanslogarithmic measure
- absorbansilogarithmic measure
Italian assorbanza
- assorbanzalogarithmic measure
Romanian absorbanță
- absorbanțălogarithmic measure
Cite this entry
APA
absorbance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absorbance
MLA
“absorbance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absorbance. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “absorbance,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absorbance.
Source: absorbance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.