Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Filtration has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
the process whereby fluids pass through a filter or a filtering medium
"The water treatment plant uses sand filtration to remove impurities as clean water passes through the granular layer."
the act of changing a fluid by passing it through a filter
"The water treatment plant uses filtration to remove sediment from the raw supply before it reaches our taps."
The act or process of filtering; the mechanical separation of a liquid from the undissolved particles floating in it.
"The filtration system effectively removed all sediment from the muddy water before it reached the main reservoir."
In plain English: Filtration is the process of separating solid particles from a liquid by passing it through something that lets only the fluid pass while trapping the solids behind.
"The water filter improved the taste through better filtration."
Usage: Filtration refers specifically to separating solids from liquids by passing them through a porous barrier, distinct from general cleaning methods that might remove dissolved substances. Use this term when describing physical processes like water purification or air purifiers rather than metaphorical ideas of filtering out information.
The word entered English from French as a direct borrowing of its modern form. It originally referred to the process of separating solids from liquids or gases by passing them through a filter.