early 15c., "extract, preparation," from Latin valentia "strength, capacity," from valentem (nominative valens), present participle of valere "be strong" (see valiant). Meaning "combining power of an element" is recorded from 1884, from German Valenz (1868), from the Latin word.
valence va·lence (vā'ləns) or va·len·cy (-lən-sē)
n.
The combining capacity of an atom or a radical determined by the number of electrons that it will lose, add, or share when it reacts with other atoms.
A positive or negative integer used to represent this capacity.
The number of components of an antigen molecule to which an antibody molecule can bind.
The attraction or aversion that an individual feels toward a specific object or event.
town, capital of Drome departement, Rhone-Alpes region, southeastern France. Valence lies on the left bank of the Rhone River. Built on a succession of terraces bordering the Rhone, the town is dominated by the ancient Cathedral of Saint-Apollinaire, which was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1095 and completed early in the 12th century. Damage done to the cathedral during the Wars of Religion (1569-98) was repaired in the 17th century. The Champ de Mars, a vast esplanade south of the cathedral, offers a fine view of the Rhone River valley. Valence probably became a bishopric in the 4th century and was ruled by its bishops until Louis XI in 1450 persuaded them to give up their temporal power in exchange for royal protection and a university (suppressed after the French Revolution).