What is "lipophilicity"

n. 1 (context uncountable chemistry English) The condition of being lipophilic 2 (context countable chemistry English) A measure of the extent to which something is lipophilic

Lipophilicity (from Greek λίπος "fat" and φίλος "friendly"), refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. These non-polar solvents are themselves lipophilic (translated as "fat-loving" or "fat-liking")—the axiom that like dissolves like generally holds true. Thus lipophilic substances tend to dissolve in other lipophilic substances, while hydrophilic (water-loving) substances tend to dissolve in water and other hydrophilic substances.

Lipophilicity, hydrophobicity, and non-polarity can describe the same tendency towards participation in the London dispersion force as the terms are often used interchangeably. However, the terms "lipophilic" and " hydrophobic" are not synonymous, as can be seen with silicones and fluorocarbons, which are hydrophobic but not lipophilic.