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
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 June 2025
Tucked into the rolling hills of Camp Verde, Arizona, where the high desert meets the lush riparian banks of the Verde River, sprawls Verde Ranch RV Resort.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2025
Restoration after the dam removal also included reforestation of native trees and shrubs along riparian zones.
—Michelle Mastro, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2025
Its preferred habitat is wet areas such as riparian corridors, springs and even septic leach areas.
—Martha Proctor, Mercury News, 1 May 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 11 Jul. 2025.
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riparian
adjective
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