groundwater

noun

ground·​wa·​ter ˈgrau̇nd-ˌwȯ-tər 

-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

Earlier this week, another study showed the U.S. Australia and Europe are hotspots for higher concentrations of PFAS in surface and groundwater. —Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024

These chemicals also take thousands of years to breakdown, contaminating drinking water, groundwater and soils. —Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Apr. 2024

In fact, Arizona put limits on some new housing developments last year because there isn’t enough groundwater to go around. —Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024

Continued subsidence, paired with rising seas, rising groundwater levels and more intense rainstorms could leave South Florida at risk of more frequent and more intense floods. —Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024

Even as climate change sets the stage for more frequent and more severe extreme weather events, its impacts on groundwater remain understudied, Lombard told CNN. —Laura Paddison, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024

The farmers in this region have long contended with drought and falling groundwater tables from over-pumping. —Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

Her allies on the Democratic side of the County Commission complained about the lack of transit projects in Levine Cava’s plan to invest in parks, housing and projects to reduce groundwater pollution and prevent flooding. —Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

Meet the experts: J. Matthew Davis, PhD, is an associate professor at University of New Hampshire’s department of earth sciences, and an expert in groundwater hydrology. —Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

groundwater

noun

ground·​wa·​ter ˈgrau̇n-ˌdwȯt-ər 

-ˌdwät-

: water within the earth that supplies wells and springs