Functionalisation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of adding or introducing specific groups or features to a molecule or material to impart desired chemical or physical properties; the act of adapting or modifying something to perform a particular function or role
2. The method of chemically modifying a substance by attaching functional groups to achieve targeted reactivity or characteristics; the practice of enabling an object or system to fulfill specific operational requirements
3. The procedure of incorporating functional entities into compounds or systems to alter behavior and enhance utility; the act of fitting or equipping something for a defined practical purpose

Etymology: Functionalisation is a plain English construction: the adjective "functional" with a chain of suffixes attached. Its core is Latin "functio", meaning performance or execution, which passed through Old French "fonction" and Middle French "function" into English. "Functional" adds the suffix "-al", from Latin "-ālis", which reached English in Middle English as "-al". The rest of the word comes from two verb-forming and noun-forming suffixes. "-ize" descends from Ancient Greek "-ĭ́zō", passed through Late Latin "-izō", Middle French "-iser" and Middle English "-isen". Adding "-ation", from Latin "-ātiō" through Old French, turns that verb into a noun of action, so the word names the act of making something functional.

Synonyms: functionalization