What does dilute mean?
To dilute is to make something weaker or less concentrated by adding another substance — most commonly water — to it. The word applies literally to liquids, as when juice concentrate is diluted before drinking or a chemist prepares a dilute acid in the laboratory, but it also extends figuratively to abstract things: a government might dilute the power of a regulator, or repeated revisions might dilute the force of a manifesto. In its figurative sense, dilute often carries a subtly critical tone, suggesting that something valuable has been watered down or compromised. The word functions chiefly as a verb but also serves as an adjective in technical contexts, where a dilute solution is one containing relatively little solute. Derived forms include dilution (the act or result of diluting) and diluent (the substance used to thin something). Rooted in the Latin lavere, meaning to wash, dilute shares ancestry with words like deluge and lotion, making it a useful term wherever precision about strength and concentration matters.
To make a liquid weaker or thinner by adding water or another solvent; figuratively, to reduce the strength, effectiveness, or value of something.
"She diluted the vinegar with water before using it on the salad."
In figurative use the verb frequently implies criticism, as in 'diluted standards'.
(Of a solution or substance) reduced in strength or concentration by the addition of a solvent.
"Prepare a dilute solution of potassium permanganate for the experiment."
Chiefly used in scientific and technical registers; everyday speech favours 'diluted'.
Dilute comes from Latin lavere, 'to wash' — the same root that gave us 'lavatory', so every time you dilute a drink you're literally giving it a bath.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dilute
Dilute derives from the Latin verb diluere, formed from dis- ('apart') plus lavere ('to wash'), so its original sense was to wash away or dissolve by means of liquid. It entered English in the early 17th century, initially in scientific and alchemical contexts describing the weakening of solutions. The same Latin root lavere produced a family of English words including deluge, lotion, lavatory, and antlers' relative lave, all carrying the underlying idea of washing or liquid flow.
Related word forms
How dilute is actually used
The verb is standard in both literal (chemistry, cooking) and figurative contexts; the figurative use often carries a mildly negative connotation, implying that something has been weakened or cheapened. As an adjective, 'dilute' appears mainly in technical and scientific writing ('a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid'), where 'diluted' is preferred in everyday speech.
Easily confused with dilute
'Elute' is a chemistry term meaning to wash out or extract a substance by rinsing with a solvent, whereas 'dilute' means to make a solution weaker or less concentrated.