Solidification

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of becoming firm or hard, typically as a substance changes from liquid to solid state
2. The transformation of a substance into a solid form, often occurring from a liquid or gas, can also refer to the process of making something more stable or certain
3. The act of turning a fluid into a solid state through cooling or chemical reactions, which may also imply the establishment of fixed beliefs or structures

Etymology: "Solidification" is a plain formation: it is built from "solid" plus the suffix "-ification," which turns an adjective into a noun for the process of making something that way. "Solid" itself comes from Latin "solidus," meaning firm or compact, and it entered English through Old French "solide." The suffix "-ify," from Latin "-ificare," means "to make," so "solidify" means "to make solid," and "-ification" names the act or result of doing so. The source also allows a second route: the word may have been borrowed directly from French "solidification." Either way, the English noun follows the same pattern as words like "classification" or "simplification," where the suffix has carried the sense of making or becoming through many formations.

Synonyms: hardening, consolidation