Amphipathic

//ˌam.fɪˈpaθ.ɪk// adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Describing a molecule, such as a detergent, which has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Of the surface(s) on a protein, particularly an alpha helix, where one surface of the alpha helix has hydrophilic amino acids and the opposite face has hydrophobic (or lipophilic) amino acids. not-comparable

Synonyms

All synonyms
amphiphilicamphiphilic

Example

More examples

"I wrote my thesis on amphipathic molecules at the university."

Etymology

From amphi- + Ancient Greek παθικός (pathikós, “remaining passive in a sexual intercourse”), from Ancient Greek ἀμφί (amphí, “on both sides”).

Related phrases

alpha helixamino acid

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.