density
DEN-si-tee
/ˈdɛn.sɪ.ti/
The degree of compactness of a substance, or the number of inhabitants or structures per unit of land area.
In urban design, high density reduces per-capita infrastructure costs and protects rural open spaces when paired with transit.
The story behind the word. Originating in Latin 'densus' (thick), the term entered English physics in the 17th century to describe mass per unit volume. Demographers in the 19th century adapted it to describe human population distribution across geographic space.
Word relationships
- compactness: Compactness refers to physical spatial tightness, whereas density is a precise quantitative measure of units per area.
- sparsity: The state of being thinly scattered or distributed over an area.
Commonly confused with
- crowding: Crowding is psychological discomfort from perceived lack of space; density is purely a physical measurement.
Word family
- dense (adjective): Closely compacted in substance or population.
- densely (adverb): In a compact, closely packed manner.
- densify (verb): To make or become more dense.
Collocations
- population density
- high density
- urban density
- housing density
- low density
Example sentences
- "Increasing urban density near transit corridors allows cities to house more people without expanding into wildlands." Urban Geography
- "Density is not crowding. Crowding is a subjective feeling of having too many people around, whereas density is an objective physical count." Urban Studies
Memory hook
Dense people on a dense street = packed tight like a thick forest. How tightly packed things are in a space.
When not to use
Do not confuse with overcrowding, which carries a specific negative nuance of inadequate spatial resources.
Fun facts
- Manhattan's population density peaked in 1910 at over 100,000 people per square mile—nearly double its density today.
Explore more words
densification, densely-populated, condense, congestion, urbanization, walkability
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