conductivity

conductivity — noun

1. the ability of a material to let heat or an electric current pass through it, or

1.nounB2
Definition

the ability of a material to let heat or an electric current pass through it, or a measurement of how well it does this

Example

The physics class measured the electrical conductivity of different metals using a special device.

measure + electrical conductivity + [substance]

Manuela checked the thermal conductivity of the insulation before installing it in the walls.

check + thermal conductivity + [material] for practical use

Common collocations
  • high conductivity
  • low conductivity
  • electrical conductivity
  • thermal conductivity
  • conductivity test
  • conductivity measurement
  • conductivity level
  • conductivity of water
  • conductivity of copper
  • conductivity meter
Synonyms
  • conductance

    more specific to electrical circuits and components rather than material properties

  • conduction

    refers to the process of transferring heat or electricity, not the material's ability

  • transmissivity

    used mainly for heat or light passage through a material, less common for electricity

Antonyms
  • resistance

    the opposite property; materials with high resistance have low conductivity

  • resistivity

    the specific quantitative measure of a material's opposition to electrical flow

Grammar Patterns

conductivity + of + substance

adjective + conductivity

conductivity + measurement/level/test

Usage Note

Conductivity is a technical term used mainly in physics and engineering. It is almost always paired with electrical or thermal to specify the type of conduction being described. Use high/low (not good/bad) to describe the degree.

Common Mistakes

Copper has a good conductivity.
Copper has high conductivity.
conductivity is described as high or low, not good or bad.
The conductivity of this wire is very conduct.
This wire has very high conductivity.
conductivity is a noun; use an adjective (conductive) for the property description.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Conductivity, conductance, and conduction are related but distinct. Conductivity (the focus here) is a material property — it tells you how well a substance allows heat or electricity to flow through it. Conductance is a measure of how well a specific object or component (like a wire or pipe) transmits electricity, and it depends on the object's size and shape. Conduction refers to the process itself — the movement of heat or electricity through a material. For example: 'Copper has high electrical conductivity' (material property); 'This short copper wire has high conductance' (object-specific); 'Heat passes through the metal by conduction' (the process).

conductivity ↗conductanceconduction ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Conductivity comes from the verb 'conduct', which traces back to Latin 'conducere' meaning 'to lead or bring together' (con- 'together' + ducere 'to lead'). The suffix '-ivity' turns the adjective 'conductive' into a noun meaning 'the quality of being conductive'. The term became common in 19th-century physics as scientists developed precise ways to measure how materials transmit heat and electricity.