floodplain

noun

flood·​plain ˈfləd-ˌplān How to pronounce floodplain (audio)
1
: level land that may be submerged by floodwaters
2
: a plain built up by stream deposition

Examples of floodplain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When 16% of your State lies in a floodplain, that is an emergency. Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025 The next best option is to elevate homes in the floodplain to a safe level, which local governments have a little more control over. Maryam Ahmed, Austin American Statesman, 15 July 2025 The camp asked for the changes after FEMA created new maps in 2011 that placed much of the camp in a floodplain, an area the agency considers at high risk for flooding, according to records. Laura Sullivan, NPR, 13 July 2025 As the tragedy unfolds, important questions are being raised about the lack of a real-time warning system, why certain infrastructure is located in a known floodplain and barriers to disseminating available weather warnings. Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for floodplain

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of floodplain was in 1873

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Cite this Entry

“Floodplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodplain. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

floodplain

noun
flood·​plain -ˌplān How to pronounce floodplain (audio)
1
: low flat land along a stream or river that may flood
2
: a plain built up from earth left by floodwaters

More from Merriam-Webster on floodplain

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