Desorption is a phenomenon whereby a substance is released from or through a surface. The process is the opposite of sorption (that is, either adsorption and absorption). This occurs in a system being in the state of sorption equilibrium between bulk phase (fluid, i.e. gas or liquid solution) and an adsorbing surface (solid or boundary separating two fluids). When the concentration (or pressure) of substance in the bulk phase is lowered, some of the sorbed substance changes to the bulk state.

Desorption (aus dem lat. de-sorbere; sorbere: (auf-)saugen) bezeichnet den Vorgang, bei dem Atome oder Moleküle die Oberfläche eines Festkörpers verlassen. Die Desorption stellt damit den Umkehrvorgang der Sorption dar.

La désorption est la transformation inverse de l'adsorption, par laquelle les molécules adsorbées se détachent du substrat.