river

noun

riv·​er ˈri-vər 

often attributive

1

a

: a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume

b

: watercourse

2

a

: something resembling a river

a river of lava

b

rivers plural : large or overwhelming quantities

drank rivers of coffee

see also:

up the river

Examples of river in a Sentence

The raft is too small to use on this part of the river.

Rivers of mud flowed down the hillside.

Recent Examples on the Web

The bridge plunged into the river below, killing six construction workers and bringing the major shipping artery at the Port of Baltimore to a screeching halt. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 12 May 2026

What comes next Freshwater systems remain dramatically understudied compared with ocean environments, even though rivers and ponds are where many species spend their most sensitive life stages. —Ryan Brennan may 12, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026

Environmentalists and tribal governments oppose those agreements, calling them an abdication of the state’s regulatory responsibility that gives irrigation districts too much sway over how much water will be allowed to flow through rivers and estuaries amid ongoing fishery and ecological decline. —Andrew Graham may 12, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2026

Set against a backdrop of rolling hills, bucolic farms, and a winding river that seems to slow time, the region invites you to breathe a little deeper. —Hannah Howard, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rivere, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *riparia, from Latin, feminine of riparius riparian, from ripa bank, shore; perhaps akin to Greek ereipein to tear down

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing river

• atmospheric river
• down the river
• mouth of the river
• river blindness
• river dolphin
• river duck
• river horse
• river mouth
• river otter
• river's mouth
• sell down the river
• up the river

Rhymes for river

• giver
• liver
• livre
• quiver
• shiver
• sliver
• caregiver
• deliver
• downriver
• lawgiver
• upriver

Kids Definition

river

noun

riv·​er ˈriv-ər 

1

: a natural stream of water larger than a brook or creek

2

: a large stream or flow

the jet stream is a river of air

Etymology

Middle English rivere "river," from early French rivere (same meaning), derived from Latin riparius "related to or located on the bank of a river," from ripa "shore"