submersion

[ suhb-mur-zhuhn, -shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of putting oneself or another person or thing under water or into some other enveloping medium:

   Swimmers in the class are taught submersion and breath holding, floating, and kicking.

   This durable tile is specially made to withstand submersion in swimming pools.

2. the act of subordinating or suppressing something:

   Critics talked about the film’s submersion of individual character within a vision of group solidarity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of submersion¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Late Latin submersiōn-, stem of submersiō, also summersiō “a sinking,” from Latin submers(us) “sunk” (past participle of submergere “to dip under, immerse, sink”) + -iō -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

The prevention of drowning—which is defined as submersion in liquid that impairs breathing and, contrary to common knowledge, isn’t always fatal—is, in some ways, straightforward.

From Slate

The lead candidate for France’s National Rally, Jordan Bardella, was quick to fire back at Macron, urging French voters to choose his party to block the EU’s “harmful policies, such as punitive ecology against our farmers or migratory submersion.”

From Seattle Times

Snails were divided into two groups: one exposed to a regular 24-hour light-dark cycle, while the other experienced a simulated 12-hour tidal cycle, alternating between submersion during high tide and exposure to air during low tide.

From Science Daily

“I Saw the TV Glow” captures this obsessive, anticipatory submersion in a long-form weekly TV show, to the point where it ignites the same feeling.

From New York Times

The storm damage includes a major breach of the aqueduct that occurred in March of last year, damage inflicted by Tropical Storm Hilary in August, and the submersion of dust sensors and dust control systems throughout the lake bed.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deluge
• flash flood
• overabundance
• torrent