Meanings
nounelectrolyte (countable and uncountable, plural electrolytes)
plural electrolytes
- countableuncountablechemistryA substance that, in solution or when molten, ionizes and conducts electricity.
- countableuncountablechemistryA solution containing such substances, which therefore also conducts electricity.
Some modern lead-acid batteries are sealed because they never need to have any electrolyte added during their service life.
- countableoftenuncountablechemistryAny of the various ions in such a solution, or (metonymically) their concentration therein.
- countableoftenuncountablechemistryAny of the various biometal ions (such as sodium or chloride) that regulate the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes, or (metonymically) such an ion's concentration in a bodily fluid, usually and especially blood, blood serum, or urine.
Lab tests to consider under these circumstances include serum electrolytes, serum glucose, and urine protein.
Origin
From electro- + -lyte, from electrolysis. Coined by British scientist Michael Faraday in 1834.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan electròlit
- electròlitsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Chinese Mandarin 電解質 /电解质
- 電解質 /电解质 (diànjiězhì)substance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Dutch elektrolyt
- elektrolytsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Esperanto elektrolito
- elektrolitosubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Estonian elektrolüüt
- elektrolüütsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Finnish elektrolyytti, elektrolyytti
- elektrolyyttisubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- elektrolyyttiion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
French électrolyte
- électrolytesubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
German Elektrolyt, Elektrolyt
- Elektrolytsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- Elektrolytion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Greek ηλεκτρολύτης
- ηλεκτρολύτης (ilektrolýtis)substance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Hindi विद्युत अपघट्य
- विद्युत अपघट्य (vidyut apghaṭya)substance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Hungarian elektrolit
- elektrolitsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Icelandic rafklofi, rafvaki
- rafklofisubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- rafvakisubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- raflausnsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- blóðsöltion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Italian elettrolito, elettrolita
- elettrolitosubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- elettrolitasubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- elettrolitoion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
- elettrolitaion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Japanese 電解液, 電解質
- 電解液 (denkaieki)substance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- 電解質 (denkaishitsu)substance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Korean 전해질
- 전해질 (jeonhaejil)substance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Māori mehanga kawehiko, waikawehiko
- mehanga kawehikosubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- waikawehikosubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Polish elektrolit, elektrolit
- elektrolitsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- elektrolition that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Portuguese eletrólito, eletrólito
- eletrólitosubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- eletrólitoion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Romanian electrolit
- electrolitsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Russian электроли́т
- электроли́т (elektrolít)substance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Spanish electrolito, electrólito
- electrolitosubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- electrólitosubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- electrolitoion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
- electrólitoion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Swahili elektroliti
- elektrolitiion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Swedish elektrolyt
- elektrolytsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Tagalog dagilusaw, dagilusaw
- dagilusawsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- dagilusawion that regulates the electric charge on cells and the flow of water across their membranes
Turkish elektrolit
- elektrolitsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Vietnamese chất điện li, chất điện giải
- chất điện lisubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- chất điện giảisubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
- chất điện phânsubstance that ionizes and conducts electricity
Cite this entry
APA
electrolyte. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/electrolyte
MLA
“electrolyte.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/electrolyte. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “electrolyte,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/electrolyte.
Source: electrolyte on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.