permeability

UK: /ˌpɜːmɪəˈbɪlɪtɪ/

US: /ˌpɝmiəˈbɪlɪti/

US: (pûr′mē ə bil′i tē)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

per•me•a•bil•i•ty  (pûr′mē ə bil′i tē), n. 

1. the property or state of being permeable.
2. Electricity Also called magnetic permeability. a measure of the change in magnetic induction produced when a magnetic material replaces air, expressed as a coefficient or a set of coefficients that multiply the components of magnetic intensity to give the components of magnetic induction.
3. Geology the capability of a porous rock or sediment to permit the flow of fluids through its pore spaces.
4. [Aeron.] the rate at which gas is lost through the envelope of an aerostat, usually expressed as the number of liters thus diffused in one day through a square meter.
5. Nautical, Naval Terms the capacity of a space in a vessel to absorb water, measured with reference to its temporary or permanent contents and expressed as a percentage of the total volume of the space.

• permea(ble) + -bility 1750–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

permeability / ˌpɜːmɪəˈbɪlɪtɪ/ noun

1. the state or quality of being permeable
2. a measure of the response of a medium to a magnetic field, expressed as the ratio of the magnetic flux density in the medium to the field strength; measured in henries per metre
   Symbol: μ
   See also relative permeability, magnetic constant

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

per•me•a•ble /ˈpɜrmiəbəl/   adj. 

1. capable of being permeated.

per•me•a•bil•i•ty /ˌpɜrmiəˈbɪlɪti/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

per•me•a•ble  (pûr′mē ə bəl), adj. 

1. capable of being permeated.

• Late Latin permeābilis, equivalent. to permeā(re) to permeate + -bilis -ble
• late Middle English 1400–50

per′me•a•ble•ness, n. 
per′me•a•bly, adv.