desalinate

verb

de·​sa·​li·​nate (ˌ)dē-ˈsa-lə-ˌnāt How to pronounce desalinate (audio)
 also  -ˈsā-
desalinated; desalinating
desalination noun
desalinator noun

Examples of desalinate in a Sentence

The company is building a plant that will desalinate seawater.
Recent Examples on the Web The treatment technology is similar to the process used for desalinating seawater, but recycling wastewater requires less energy and is less costly than turning saltwater into freshwater. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2023 Without fuel, water cannot be pumped or desalinated, generators that power hospitals – that keep incubators, ventilators and dialysis machines running and to sterilize surgical equipment – will fail. Helen Regan, CNN, 24 Oct. 2023 True, the amount of available water determines how productive the land will be, but it itself is partially determined by how much energy is available for pumping the water or desalinating it. Joel E Cohen, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 As more regions start to rely on desalination, using water from brackish inland sources may require building additional infrastructure to treat this water if it is polluted, before it can be desalinated. The Week Staff, The Week, 12 Feb. 2023 Polhemus said the costs for purifying wastewater will probably be about half those of desalinating ocean water. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2023 The hope had been to have a virtuous cycle of reuse; but engineers realized that even desalinating water would require a level of clean energy beyond reach, short of blanketing Abu Dhabi in solar panels. Chico Harlan, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 Surface water and dependable power would make pumping, desalinating and treating the water possible. Daniel Wolfe, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 That figure is twice the cost of desalinating seawater in California, but Bourcier says the real cost is likely much lower, perhaps as low as 50 cents per cubic meter. IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2014

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'desalinate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of desalinate was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near desalinate

Cite this Entry

“Desalinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desalinate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

desalinate

verb
de·​sa·​li·​nate (ˈ)dē-ˈsal-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce desalinate (audio)
 also  -ˈsā-lə-
desalinated; desalinating
: desalt
desalination
(ˌ)dē-ˌsal-ə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce desalinate (audio)
 also  -ˌsā-lə-
noun
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!