What does carbonation mean?
Carbonation is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide gas into a liquid, usually under pressure, which gives the liquid its characteristic fizz and sharp taste when the gas is released as bubbles. The term is most familiar from soft drinks, sparkling water, and beer, but it also appears in scientific fields: geologists use it to describe a form of chemical weathering in which carbon dioxide reacts with certain minerals to form carbonates, and engineers speak of mineral carbonation as a method of capturing and storing atmospheric CO2. In everyday use, people talk about the level, strength, or loss of carbonation — a flat soda has simply lost its dissolved gas. Derived ultimately from Latin carbo, meaning coal or charcoal, the word entered English through the chemistry of the late eighteenth century, when pioneers such as Joseph Priestley first produced artificial sparkling water. Today carbonation is central to a vast global beverage industry.
nounThe process of dissolving carbon dioxide gas in a liquid, typically under pressure, producing effervescence. It also refers to the resulting fizzy or bubbly quality of such a liquid.
- The dissolution of carbon dioxide gas in a liquid, especially water or beverages, under pressure.
- The fizzy, bubbly quality or condition that results from this process.
- In geology/chemistry: a chemical weathering process involving carbon dioxide reacting with minerals such as calcium silicates to form carbonates (e.g. in rock weathering and mineral carbonation for CO2 storage).
"The crisp bite of the sparkling water comes from its high level of carbonation."
"The beer was bottle-conditioned, so its natural carbonation developed slowly over several weeks."
"Mineral carbonation is being explored as a way to lock atmospheric CO2 permanently into solid rock."
Rarely used in the plural; almost always treated as a mass noun referring to the process or state.
"Different bottling plants used different carbonations to suit their regional markets."
Joseph Priestley invented a way to make fizzy water in 1767 by suspending a bowl of water over a fermenting beer vat at a Leeds brewery — and never realized he had launched an entire industry.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carbonation
Carbonation derives from 'carbonate', itself formed from 'carbon' with the French suffix '-ate'. Carbon traces back to Latin 'carbo' ('coal, charcoal'), via French 'charbon'. The verb 'carbonate' (to combine or charge with carbon dioxide) emerged in late eighteenth-century chemistry alongside early experiments in artificial aerated waters, and the noun 'carbonation' followed as the corresponding action noun. Related words sharing the same root include carbonate, carbide, carbohydrate, and carbonic.
Related word forms
How carbonation is actually used
Most commonly used in food, drink, and brewing contexts; 'carbonated' is the usual adjective form. In scientific writing, carbonation may also refer to geological or industrial processes involving CO2, so context matters. The word is neutral in register — neither especially formal nor informal.
Easily confused with carbonation
In chemistry, the binding of carbon dioxide to blood proteins is sometimes loosely called carbonation, but it differs from the beverage-industry process of dissolving CO2 in water.
Carbonate is a chemical compound or ion containing CO3, while carbonation is the process of introducing carbon dioxide into a substance, most often a drink.