floodplain

noun

flood·​plain ˈfləd-ˌplān 

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

The first meandering rivers and floodplains developed as tree roots stabilized soil and prevented its erosion, while at the same time locking away vast amounts of atmospheric carbon into the nascent soils. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

At the time, the flood maps showed that the land the park sat on was at risk but didn’t have his home in the 100-year floodplain, which would have required expensive elevation. — Ren Larson, ProPublica, 28 Sep. 2026

Rentner’s group focuses on restoring pieces of the natural floodplains to absorb water again. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

For comparison, the researchers also analyzed five teeth of crocodilians that shared the same rivers and floodplains. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for floodplain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

floodplain

noun

flood·​plain -ˌplān 

1

: low flat land along a stream or river that may flood

2

: a plain built up from earth left by floodwaters