hydrology

noun

hy·​drol·​o·​gy hī-ˈdrä-lə-jē How to pronounce hydrology (audio)
: a science dealing with the properties, distribution, and circulation of water on and below the earth's surface and in the atmosphere
hydrologic adjective
or hydrological
hydrologically adverb
hydrologist noun

Examples of hydrology 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.
The training introduces the concepts used in stream team monitoring such as hydrology, natural and human impact on streams and monitoring methods. Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2025 During the dives, researchers collected hundreds of deep-sea samples and gathered data on biodiversity, ocean hydrology, sea ice conditions, and water chemistry. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2025 Spooky Lakes are not about conspiracy theories or the supernatural, but are instead an opportunity to learn about natural phenomena, historical events, environmental disasters, and strange happenings surrounding lakes and other hydrology. Abigail Wise, Outside, 3 Oct. 2025 The collapse of water security in Iran has been decades in the making and is rooted in a mania for megaprojects—dam building, deep wells, and water transfer schemes—that ignored the fundamentals of hydrology and ecological balance. Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hydrology

Word History

Etymology

New Latin hydrologia, from Latin hydr- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hydrology was in 1762

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hydrology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrology. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hydrology

noun
hy·​drol·​o·​gy hī-ˈdräl-ə-jē How to pronounce hydrology (audio)
: a science dealing with the characteristics, distribution, and circulation of water on and below the surface of the land and in the atmosphere
hydrologic adjective
or hydrological
hydrologist noun

Medical Definition

hydrology

noun
hy·​drol·​o·​gy hī-ˈdräl-ə-jē How to pronounce hydrology (audio)
plural hydrologies
: the body of medical knowledge and practice concerned with the therapeutic use of bathing and water

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