What process describes the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane?

Osmosis is the specific process that describes the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane. This occurs when water molecules move from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration, aiming to equalize solute concentrations on both sides of the membrane. The semipermeable membrane allows the water molecules to pass through while restricting the movement of certain solutes, thus facilitating this passive transport of water without the expenditure of energy.

In contrast, diffusion refers to the movement of solute molecules from an area of higher concentration to one of lower concentration, which is a different process than osmosis since it does not specifically involve water or semipermeable membranes. Active transport involves the movement of substances against their concentration gradient, which requires energy. Facilitated diffusion is a type of passive transport that involves specific proteins aiding in the movement of certain molecules across a membrane but does not specifically pertain to water movement through a semipermeable membrane. Therefore, osmosis is the accurate answer in this context.