hydrophilic

adjective

hy·​dro·​phil·​ic ˌhī-drə-ˈfi-lik How to pronounce hydrophilic (audio)
: of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water
hydrophilic proteins
hydrophilicity
ˌhī-drə-fi-ˈli-sə-tē How to pronounce hydrophilic (audio)
noun

Examples of hydrophilic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shaped like a tadpole, the soap molecule has a round head and long tail; the head is hydrophilic, and the tail is hydrophobic. — Paul E. Richardson, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2025 The hydrophilic surface accelerates bone healing. — Malana Vantyler, jsonline.com, 20 Feb. 2026 The wings have alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions to enhance the condensation. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2025 One method of making the fabric adheres to a schematic flow that begins with knitting a hydrophobic yarn—to form a first layer—before knitting a hydrophilic yarn and a reinforcement yarn together, to form a second layer. — Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hydrophilic

Word History

Etymology

New Latin hydrophilus, from Greek hydr- + -philos -philous

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrophilic was in 1901

Rhymes for hydrophilic

See All Rhymes for hydrophilic

Browse Nearby Words

Hydrophiidae
hydrophilic
hydrophilid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hydrophilic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrophilic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

hydrophilic

1 of 2 adjective
hy·​dro·​phil·​ic -ˈfil-ik How to pronounce hydrophilic (audio)
: of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water
hydrophilic colloids swell in water and are relatively stable
soft contact lenses are made of hydrophilic plastic, which absorbs water
compare lipophilic, lyophilic, oleophilic
hydrophilicity
-fi-ˈlis-ət-ē How to pronounce hydrophilic (audio)
noun
plural hydrophilicities

hydrophilic

2 of 2 noun
: hydrophile
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All