Salinity

noun

/səˈlɪnɪti/

The measure of the total concentration of dissolved salts in a body of water, typically expressed in parts per thousand (ppt), with the average ocean salinity being approximately 35 ppt.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Rising soil salinity in the canal-irrigated tracts of Punjab and Haryana, driven by waterlogging and over-extraction of groundwater, has steadily eroded agricultural productivity, underscoring the need for a shift from input-intensive farming towards micro-irrigation and watershed management.

Synonyms

saltinesssalt contentbrininesssalt concentrationbrackishness

Antonyms

freshnesssweetness (of water)

🌱 Word Family

saline (adj/n), salinise (v), salinisation (n), salinometer (n), salted (adj)

🔡 Root

Latin sal = salt; salinus = of or pertaining to salt; -ity = condition or quality of being (Latin -itas)

📜 Etymology

From Latin sal ("salt") via salinus ("of or pertaining to salt") + the suffix -ity ("condition or quality of being"); earliest English usage recorded in the 1620s.

🧠 Memory Hook

Think of Latin "sal" (salt) inside "SALinity" — the same root as "saline" drip and a "salad" sprinkled with salt; salinity = how salty something is.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2015 — World Geography
Mains 2017 · GS1 · 15 marks — Geography

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Salinity” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🌍 Geography 📖 Seen in: Oceanography — Ocean Currents, Tides, ...

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