osmosis
noun
os·mo·sis
äz-ˈmō-səs 
äs-
1
: movement of a solvent (such as water) through a semipermeable membrane (as of a living cell) into a solution of higher solute concentration that tends to equalize the concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane
2
: a process of absorption or diffusion (see diffusion sense 3a) suggestive of the flow of osmotic action
especially
: a usually effortless often unconscious assimilation (see assimilation sense 4)
learned a number of languages by osmosis —
Roger Kimball
Roger Kimball Examples of osmosis in a Sentence
She seems to learn foreign languages by osmosis.
Recent Examples on the Web
The band partied hard, and plenty of musicians hung out at the McNelley household, teaching him the guitar almost by osmosis.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 1 July 2024
This type of geographical osmosis is at the core of Knopfler’s work, which has reverence for the past as much as the future.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024
China’s imperial expansion has historically been achieved by osmosis rather than conquest, or by the conversionto Chinese culture of conquerors who then added their own territoriesto the Chinese domain.
—Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012
My understanding of the series up to this point has purely come through osmosis as someone who’s been working in pop culture for almost a decade.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for osmosis 
Tom Roland, Billboard, 1 July 2024
This type of geographical osmosis is at the core of Knopfler’s work, which has reverence for the past as much as the future.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024
China’s imperial expansion has historically been achieved by osmosis rather than conquest, or by the conversionto Chinese culture of conquerors who then added their own territoriesto the Chinese domain.
—Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012
My understanding of the series up to this point has purely come through osmosis as someone who’s been working in pop culture for almost a decade.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for osmosis
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'osmosis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near osmosis
Cite this Entry
“Osmosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/osmosis. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
osmosis
noun
os·mo·sis
äz-ˈmō-səs
äs-
1
: the passage of material (as a solvent) through a membrane (as of a plant or animal cell) that will not allow all kinds of molecules to pass
2
: a taking in (as of knowledge) as if by the process of osmosis
osmotic
adjective
-ˈmät-ik
Medical Definition
osmosis
noun
os·mo·sis
äz-ˈmō-səs
äs-
äs-
plural osmoses
-ˌsēz
: movement of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane (as of a living cell) into a solution of higher solute concentration that tends to equalize the concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane
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