What does moisture mean?
Moisture is an uncountable noun for a small amount of liquid, especially water, present in the air or on, within, or around something. It may describe visible dampness, such as moisture on a window, water vapour in the atmosphere, or a measurable quantity of liquid in soil, food, wood, or other materials. The word is especially useful when the presence of water is being described precisely without necessarily implying that it is excessive. For example, a textile can retain moisture while remaining comfortable, whereas an object described as damp is often perceived as unpleasantly wet. Moisture also has established technical uses in construction, agriculture, food science, and meteorology. Although “moistures” is formally possible, the singular mass noun is overwhelmingly preferred in ordinary usage.
nounMoisture is a small amount of liquid, especially water, present in the air or on or within a material. It can also refer more generally to dampness or the presence of water vapour.
- Wetness or a small amount of liquid present on, within, or around something.
- Water vapour suspended in the air, especially as part of a description of atmospheric conditions.
- Liquid or moisture regarded as a measurable material or property, as in the moisture content of soil, food, or building materials.
"Morning dew left a thin layer of moisture on the grass."
"A thin film of moisture formed on the inside of the window."
"The soil retains enough moisture to support healthy plant growth during dry periods."
"The report compares the moisture levels of the two storage facilities."
The plural is rare; moisture is normally used in the singular as an uncountable noun.
"The samples displayed slight differences in their moistures."
Moisture entered English through Old French, connecting the familiar noun with the longer Latin word humiditas, meaning wetness or humidity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does moisture come from?
The word entered Middle English in the late medieval period, probably through Old French moistour, a form related to moist. Its deeper source is Latin humiditas, meaning wetness or moisture, which was derived from humidus, “moist” or “humid.” The modern English spelling reflects the gradual development and standardization of these related French and Latin forms.
How moisture is actually used
Moisture is normally an uncountable noun. It is often used in technical and descriptive contexts involving air, soil, food, buildings, and materials; compared with dampness, it can sound more neutral or objective.
Easily confused with moisture
Moisture is a noun meaning wetness or the presence of liquid, while moist is an adjective describing something slightly damp.