1
: the amount of precipitation usually measured by the depth in inches
2
Synonyms
Examples of rainfall in a Sentence
This area has an average annual rainfall of 12 inches.
an increase in annual rainfall
Recent Examples on the Web
The last time the city recorded over a tenth of an inch of rainfall was last May, according to the Los Angeles Times, contributing to drought.
—
Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
There have been years where our annual quota of rainfall has been met by the end of April.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2025
Much of the region has received just 5% or less of its average rainfall for this point in the water year, which began Oct. 1, said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in San Diego, which also issues forecasts for Orange County and the Inland Empire.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
While Los Angeles has seen negligible rain in the last eight months, the previous two years saw extreme rainfall.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
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Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
There have been years where our annual quota of rainfall has been met by the end of April.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2025
Much of the region has received just 5% or less of its average rainfall for this point in the water year, which began Oct. 1, said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in San Diego, which also issues forecasts for Orange County and the Inland Empire.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
While Los Angeles has seen negligible rain in the last eight months, the previous two years saw extreme rainfall.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rainfall
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Dictionary Entries Near rainfall
Cite this Entry
“Rainfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainfall. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rainfall
noun
rain·fall
-ˌfȯl 
1
: a fall of rain
2
: amount of precipitation
an annual rainfall of 20 inches
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