Dictionary Definition

unsaturated adj

1 not saturated; capable of dissolving more of a substance at a given temperature; "an unsaturated salt solution" [ant: saturated]

2 used of a compound (especially of carbon) containing atoms sharing more than one valence bond; "unsaturated fats" [ant: saturated]

3 (of color) not chromatically pure; diluted; "an unsaturated red" [ant: saturated]

User Contributed Dictionary

In the context of "chemistry|of a solution": Not saturated; capable of dissolving more of a solute at the same temperature.
Of a compound containing atoms sharing more than one valence bond, especially of an organic compound having one or more double bonds or triple bonds between carbon atoms.
In the context of "of a colour": Not chromatically pure; diluted.

capable of dissolving more solute

having one or more double bonds or triple bonds between carbon atoms

not chromatically pure

Saturation or saturated generally means "thoroughly full", while unsaturated means less than full. These terms may be related to:

Dew point, which is a temperature that occurs when atmospheric humidity reaches 100% and the air can hold no more moisture
Market saturation, in economics, a situation in which a product has become diffused (distributed) within a market
Saturated model, a concept in mathematical logic
Saturation (album), an album by the alternative rock band Urge Overkill, created by Overkill corporation, 1994
Saturation (biology), in mutation studies, the observed number of mutations relative to the maximum amount possible (usually undefined)
Saturation (chemistry), multiple definitions for chemistry
Saturation (color theory), the intensity of a specific hue
Saturation intent, a rendering intent in color management
Saturation (magnetic), the state when the material cannot absorb a stronger magnetic field
Oxygen saturation, a clinical measure of the amount of oxygen in a patient's blood
Saturation (telecommunications), a number of meanings
Saturation arithmetic, in arithmetic, a version of arithmetic in which all operations are limited to fixed range
Saturated Fat
In the earth sciences, saturation generally refers to the water content in the soil, where the unsaturated zone is above the water table and the saturated zone is below
Saturated liquid or saturated vapor, contains as much thermal energy as it can without boiling or condensing
Saturated transistor, a BJT transistor that is fully turned on

unsaturated in Czech: Saturace

unsaturated in French: Saturation

unsaturated in Italian: Saturazione

unsaturated in Japanese: 飽和

unsaturated in Norwegian: Metning

unsaturated in Polish: Saturacja

unsaturated in Russian: Насыщенность

unsaturated in Simple English: Saturation