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

South Korean officials said this week that a second exercise, for amphibious landings scheduled for September, was canceled in June. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

His allusion to the United States’ awesome deployment of power in World War II – part of the largest amphibious military operation in history – wasn’t just an attention-grabbing social media post. — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026

Keeping a 40,500-ton amphibious assault ship ready for deployment requires extensive industrial support. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026

To study how the females select the best mate, the team (including researchers from Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) built an amphibious dating arena. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 Aug. 2026

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"