rainfall

noun

rain·​fall ˈrān-ˌfȯl 

1

: the amount of precipitation usually measured by the depth in inches

2

: rain sense 2a

Synonyms of rainfall

• rain

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

Favorable rainfall trends across major producing nations, including Spain, have paved the way for a solid global yield for the upcoming harvest, Valdés said, consolidating a more robust and balanced global supply. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 July 2026

At least one person has died in the Hill Country because of torrential rainfall causing life-threatening floods — amid a bipartisan push to fix alert-delivery failures. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 17 July 2026

During their 2022 field season, the researchers observed that during heavy rainfall, corridors in the structure may have channeled water down an interior staircase into the artificial cave. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026

Storylining is especially useful for events like tropical cyclones, where the frequency is rare but some of the atmospheric conditions that contribute to their trajectory or rainfall might show up far more often. — ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rainfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

rainfall

noun

rain·​fall -ˌfȯl 

1

: a fall of rain

2

: amount of precipitation

an annual rainfall of 20 inches