What does vaporisation mean?
Vaporisation is the process of converting a liquid into a gas or vapour, most often through the application of heat. In everyday and scientific contexts, it describes what happens when water boils, when a solvent evaporates from a surface, or when a liquid is transformed into mist or steam. The word is especially associated with technical descriptions of chemistry, physics, engineering, and industrial processes, although it remains clear and understandable in general writing. Vaporisation does not necessarily mean that the substance undergoes a chemical change; in many cases, the original material remains chemically the same and simply changes physical state. The British spelling vaporisation is standard in the United Kingdom and much of the English-speaking world, while vaporization is the usual form in the United States. The related noun vaporization and the British verb vaporise belong to the same word family.
nounVaporisation is the process by which a substance changes from a liquid into a gas or vapour, especially when heated. The term is also used more broadly for any conversion into a gaseous state.
- The conversion of a substance from a liquid into a gas or vapour, especially by heating.
"The rapid vaporisation of the liquid produced a cloud of steam."
"The paint was applied immediately before vaporisation of the solvent."
"Vaporisation of water at high temperatures is central to many industrial processes."
The plural is uncommon in general use but is appropriate when referring to separate or repeated processes.
"Several vaporisations of the liquid were recorded during the experiment."
Vaporisation turns a liquid into a gas without changing its chemical identity, a simple transformation behind engines, power stations, and everyday steaming.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of vaporisation
Vaporisation is formed from vaporize, or British vaporise, together with the noun-forming suffix -ation. The root vapor was borrowed into English from Latin vapor, meaning steam or vapour. The development of the word reflects the growth of scientific vocabulary concerned with changes of physical state and the increasingly precise description of chemical and physical processes.
Related word forms
How vaporisation is actually used
Vaporisation is formal or technical in tone and is common in British English. US English generally uses vaporization; the two spellings refer to the same process.
Easily confused with vaporisation
Evaporation usually refers specifically to a liquid changing into vapour at its surface, whereas vaporisation can include conversion into vapour by heating more generally, including boiling.