valence

See also: Valence

English

Etymology 1

In the sense "extract, preparation", from Latin valentia (“strength, capacity”) (1425). The now-current sense of "combining capacity" is from German Valenz (1884), from the same Latin word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈveɪləns/

Noun

valence (plural valences)

1. (chemistry, medicine, obsolete) An extract; a preparation, now especially one effective against a certain number of strains of a pathogen.
2. (chemistry) The combining capacity of an atom, radical or functional group determined by the number of electrons that it will lose, gain, or share when it combines with other atoms etc.
3. (chemistry) The number of binding sites of a molecule, such as an antibody or antigen.
4. (linguistics) The number of arguments that a verb can have, including its subject, ranging from zero (for the likes of "It rains") to three (for the likes of "He gives her a flower").
5. (psychology) A one-dimensional value assigned to an object, situation, or state, that can usually be positive or negative.
6. (sociology) Value. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Alternative forms

• valency (mostly UK):

Synonyms

• (chemistry): valency
• (linguistics): valency

Derived terms

terms derived from valence

• equivalence
• primary valence
• secondary valence
• polyvalence
• valence electron
• social valence

Related terms

• valent
• -valent

Translations

chemistry: combining capacity

• Finnish: valenssi (fi)
• German: Valenz (de) f, Wertigkeit (de) f
• Polish: wartościowość f

• Portuguese: valência f
• Romanian: valență (ro) f
• Russian: вале́нтность (ru) f (valéntnostʹ)

chemistry: number of binding sites of a molecule

• Finnish: valenssi (fi)
• Polish: wartościowość f
• Portuguese: valência f

• Romanian: valență (ro) f
• Russian: вале́нтность (ru) f (valéntnostʹ)
• Tagalog: kalwing

linguistics: number of arguments that a verb can have

• Finnish: valenssi (fi)
• Portuguese: valência f

• Romanian: valență (ro) f
• Russian: вале́нтность (ru) (valéntnostʹ)

psychology: one-dimensional value assigned to an object, situation, or state

• Finnish: valenssi (fi), tunnearvo

sociology: value

• Romanian: valență (ro) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Czech: ^{(please verify)} valence f
• French: ^{(please verify)} valence (fr) f

• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} valens (sv) c

Etymology 2

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvæləns/

Noun

valence (plural valences)

1. Alternative spelling of valance

See also

• valance

References

• Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• enclave

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Czech

Noun

valence f

1. valence, valency (chemistry)
2. valence, valency (linguistics)

Derived terms

• valenční

---

French

Etymology

Back-formation from monovalence., etc.

Noun

valence f (plural valences)

1. (chemistry) valence
2. (linguistics) valency

See also

• rection
• transitivité

Anagrams

• enclave, enclavé

Further reading

• “valence” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).