groundwater

noun

ground·​wa·​ter ˈgrau̇nd-ˌwȯ-tər How to pronounce groundwater (audio)
-ˌwä-
: water within the earth especially that supplies wells and springs

Examples of groundwater in a Sentence

There were concerns about contaminated groundwater.
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.
In other words, the original skin inside the clay layer must have decayed and washed away, while the same groundwater saturated the bones en route to their fossilization. Paul C. Sereno, The Conversation, 24 Oct. 2025 Then, weeks after they were buried, the soft parts of the carcasses decayed and were washed away by groundwater, leaving the clay mask to forever preserve the forms of what lay just beneath, Sereno says. Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025 Pullman’s epic, which concludes this fall with the publication of The Rose Field, doesn’t leach into the cultural groundwater quite so readily. Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025 Like the process of purifying reuse water, the desalination process is more expensive than the typical methods of treating non-brackish groundwater for consumption. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for groundwater

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of groundwater was circa 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Groundwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groundwater. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

groundwater

noun
ground·​wa·​ter ˈgrau̇n-ˌdwȯt-ər How to pronounce groundwater (audio)
-ˌdwät-
: water within the earth that supplies wells and springs

More from Merriam-Webster on groundwater

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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