1
: the amount of precipitation usually measured by the depth in inches
2
Examples of rainfall in a Sentence
This area has an average annual rainfall of 12 inches.
an increase in annual rainfall
Recent Examples on the Web
The pattern will support multiple days of temperatures in the 80s, with increasing risks for thunderstorms and heavy rainfall as a front advances later in the period.
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Last month, the Climate Prediction and Applications Centre of a regional bloc known as IGAD said the March-May rainy season has a 45% chance of above-average rainfall across most countries in the region, with affected countries ranging from Uganda to Djibouti.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
El Niño does not guarantee above-normal rainfall in any part of the state.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The El Niño in 2016 was sizable, but not the largest, and then in 2023-24, a moderate El Niño fueled storms and significant rainfall.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rainfall
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Doyle Rice, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Last month, the Climate Prediction and Applications Centre of a regional bloc known as IGAD said the March-May rainy season has a 45% chance of above-average rainfall across most countries in the region, with affected countries ranging from Uganda to Djibouti.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
El Niño does not guarantee above-normal rainfall in any part of the state.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The El Niño in 2016 was sizable, but not the largest, and then in 2023-24, a moderate El Niño fueled storms and significant rainfall.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rainfall
Cite this Entry
“Rainfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainfall. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rainfall
noun
rain·fall
-ˌfȯl 
1
: a fall of rain
2
: amount of precipitation
an annual rainfall of 20 inches
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