hydrology

noun

hy·​drol·​o·​gy hī-ˈdrä-lə-jē 

: a science dealing with the properties, distribution, and circulation of water on and below the earth's surface and in the atmosphere

hydrologic

ˌhī-drə-ˈlä-jik 

adjective

or hydrological

ˌhī-drə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

hydrologically

ˌhī-drə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

hydrologist

hī-ˈdrä-lə-jist 

noun

Examples of hydrology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The collapse of water security in Iran has been decades in the making and is rooted in a mania for megaprojects—dam building, deep wells, and water transfer schemes—that ignored the fundamentals of hydrology and ecological balance. —Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025

Slowly the area is transforming while the city’s transport and hydrology infrastructure improves. —Heather Farmbrough, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

The training introduces the concepts used in stream team monitoring such as hydrology, natural and human impact on streams and monitoring methods. —Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025

Along the way, guides teach riders about the region’s volcanology, history, and hydrology (less than 11 inches of rainfall annually). —Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin hydrologia, from Latin hydr- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hydrology

• anthology
• apology
• astrology
• biology
• christology
• chronology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology

Kids Definition

hydrology

noun

hy·​drol·​o·​gy hī-ˈdräl-ə-jē 

: a science dealing with the characteristics, distribution, and circulation of water on and below the surface of the land and in the atmosphere

hydrologic

ˌhī-drə-ˈläj-ik 

adjective

or hydrological

-i-kəl 

hydrologist

hī-ˈdräl-ə-jist 

noun

Medical Definition

hydrology

noun

hy·​drol·​o·​gy hī-ˈdräl-ə-jē 

plural hydrologies

: the body of medical knowledge and practice concerned with the therapeutic use of bathing and water