density
DEN-suh-tee
/ˈden.sə.ti/
The quantity of people or things in a given area or space.
In population geography, refers to inhabitants per square kilometer or mile.
The story behind the word. berasal from Latin 'densus', meaning thick or compact. It entered Middle English through French to describe crowded forests and foliage before being applied to physics masses and human populations.
Word relationships
- concentration: Concentration refers to gathering in one spot, while density measures distribution over a whole area.
- sparseness: The quality of being thinly scattered.
Commonly confused with
- destiny: Destiny means fate, whereas density means compactness or concentration.
Word family
- dense (adjective): Closely packed together.
- densely (adverb): In a closely packed manner.
Collocations
- population density
- high density
- low density
- housing density
Example sentences
- "High population density in major cities creates challenges for public transit systems." Urban Planning
- "Lead has a much higher density than aluminum, making it far heavier for the same volume." Physics text
Memory hook
Dense jungle = trees packed tight. Population density = people packed tight. People per square mile.
When not to use
Do not use to describe emotional intensity or psychological depth.
Fun facts
- Manila in the Philippines has one of the world's highest population densities, exceeding 40,000 people per square kilometer.
Related words
Explore more words
densification, densely-populated, condense, congestion, walkability
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