riparian
adjective
Did you know?
Riparian came to English from the same source that gave us "river"—the Latin riparius, a noun deriving from ripa, meaning "bank" or "shore." First appearing in English in the 19th century, "riparian" refers to things that exist alongside a river (such as riparian wetlands, habitats, trees, etc.). Some river communities have laws called "riparian rights," referring to the rights of those owning land along a river to have access to the waterway. Note the distinction of this word from "littoral," which usually refers to things that occur along the shore of a sea or ocean.
Examples of riparian in a Sentence
Visit Tucson, AFAR Media, 21 Mar. 2025
But firefighters reported that during the 2007 Angora Fire, those riparian zones carried flames.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
Cal Fire status update Situation Summary The Ranch Fire is actively burning in a heavy riparian area along a river bottom.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacramento Bee, 9 Mar. 2025
It was established by then-president Barack Obama in 2015 to protect the region’s biodiversity including tule elk, relic prairies and riparian habitat.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riparian
Cite this Entry
“Riparian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riparian. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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riparian
adjective
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