riparian

adjective

ri·​par·​i·​an rə-ˈper-ē-ən 

rī-

: relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (such as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater

riparian trees

Did you know?

Riparian came to English from the same source that gave us "river"—the Latin riparius, a noun deriving from ripa, meaning "bank" or "shore." First appearing in English in the 19th century, "riparian" refers to things that exist alongside a river (such as riparian wetlands, habitats, trees, etc.). Some river communities have laws called "riparian rights," referring to the rights of those owning land along a river to have access to the waterway. Note the distinction of this word from "littoral," which usually refers to things that occur along the shore of a sea or ocean.

Examples of riparian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Such a treaty would focus on ways to harness the river's hydropower potential to satiate the energy needs of all the riparian states while maintaining ecosystem health. —Shlomi Dinar, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2012

The region is riparian, an ecosystem located along a body of water. —Jack Armstrong, The Arizona Republic, 26 June 2024

This includes forests, grasslands and riparian areas. —Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 June 2024

Separately, the team unearthed ceramics from the riparian ecosystem. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin riparius — more at river

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing riparian

• riparian right

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Legal Definition

riparian

adjective

ri·​par·​i·​an rə-ˈper-ē-ən 

: of or relating to or living or located on the bank of a watercourse (as a river or stream) or sometimes a lake

broadly : of or relating to or living or located on the bank of a body of water compare littoral