amphibious

adjective

am·​phib·​i·​ous am-ˈfi-bē-əs 

1

: combining two characteristics

2

a

: relating to or adapted for both land and water

amphibious vehicles

b

: executed by coordinated action of land, sea, and air forces organized for invasion

an amphibious landing

also : trained or organized for such action

amphibious forces

3

: able to live both on land and in water

amphibious plants

amphibiously adverb

amphibiousness noun

Examples of amphibious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Huge Navy ship headed for the yard: The Defense Department has awarded BAE Systems San Diego nearly $156 million to repair and modernize the USS Somerset, a 684-foot amphibious transport dock that concluded a 7-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific last summer. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025

Since mid-May, China has sent multiple warships to waters east of the First Island Chain, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry—including a naval task group led by the aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning and another centered around the amphibious assault ship CNS Anhui. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025

The company is already working on versions with three or four seats, and there's talk of an amphibious model that could land on water. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2025

The Chinese military also sends warplanes and ships toward Taiwan on near-daily sorties and in recent days held an amphibious landing drill in the Taiwan Strait. —Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 30 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin amphibius "living both on land and in water" (borrowed from Greek amphíbios "living a double life, living both on land and in the water," from amphi- amphi- + -bios "having such a mode of life," derivative of bíos "life") + -ous — more at quick entry 1

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

amphibious

adjective

am·​phib·​i·​ous am-ˈfib-ē-əs 

1

: able to live both on land and in water

amphibious plants

2

a

: designed for use on both land and water

amphibious vehicles

b

: carried out by land, sea, and air forces acting together

an amphibious assault

amphibiously adverb

amphibiousness noun

Etymology

from Greek amphibios "living a double life," from amphi- "around, on both sides" and bios "mode of life"