Definition of VALENCE

valence

Plural: valences

Noun

  • The combining capacity of an element or radical in chemistry.
  • (biology) a relative capacity to unite or react or interact as with antigens or a biological substrate
  • (chemistry) a property of atoms or radicals; their combining power given in terms of the number of hydrogen atoms (or the equivalent)
  • The combining capacity of an atom, functional group, or radical determined by the number of atoms of hydrogen with which it will unite, or the number of electrons that it will gain, lose, or share when it combines with other atoms, etc.
  • The number of binding sites of a molecule, such as an antibody or antigen.
  • The number of arguments that a verb can have, including its subject, ranging from zero to three or, less commonly, four.
  • A one-dimensional value assigned by a person to an object, situation, or state, that can usually be positive (causing a feeling of attraction) or negative (repulsion).
  • The value which a person places on something.
  • Alternative spelling of valance.

Examples

  • anger and fear have negative valence
  • In this assignment you will analyze each of the following sentences and determine the valence of the highlighted verb.
  • Understanding the VALENCE of letters can help link them for bonus points in Words With Friends.

Origin / Etymology

Sense 1.1 (“combining capacity of an atom”) and sense 3 (“one-dimensional value assigned by a person to an object, situation, or state”) are borrowed from German Valenz + English -ence (suffix meaning ‘having the condition or state of’). Valenz is a clipping of Quantivalenz (“(archaic) valence in chemistry”), from English quantivalence, from Latin quantus (“how much”) + English -i- (interfix inserted between morphemes of Latin origin for ease of pronunciation) + Latin valentia (“bodily strength; health; vigour”) (whence Late Middle English valence (“medicinal preparation made from plants”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“to rule; powerful, strong”)). Quantivalence was coined by F. O. Ward who communicated it to the German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann (1818–1892), leading him to coin the German word Quantivalenz. Doublet of value.
Sense 2 (“number of arguments a verb can have”) was formed by analogy to the use of the word in chemistry: see above.

Scrabble Score: 12

valence: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
valence: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
valence: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

valence: valid Words With Friends Word