Elements or chemical groups that have an ionic charge can usually be dissolved to form ions in either water or another polar solvent. Such a compound or salt is described as an ionic compound with ionic bonds which means that, in effect, all of the electron density of one or more valence electrons has been transferred from the less electronegative group of elements to the more electronegative group of elements.
Ionic compounds, characterized by their ability to dissolve in polar solvents like water, form ions when they break apart. This process involves transferring electron density from a less electronegative element to a more electronegative one.