river

noun

riv·​er ˈri-vər 

often attributive

1

a

: a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume

b

: watercourse

2

a

: something resembling a river

a river of lava

b

rivers plural : large or overwhelming quantities

drank rivers of coffee

see also up the river

Examples of river in a Sentence

The raft is too small to use on this part of the river.

Rivers of mud flowed down the hillside.

Recent Examples on the Web

About 30 minutes north of downtown Atlanta, and an easy ride on MARTA public transportation, Sandy Springs is set along the Chattahoochee River, with more than 20 miles of river frontage, parks, and trails, according to realtor and long-term resident Robin Conklin of Home Luxury Real Estate. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025

This stretch of the Great Hungarian Plain was once the nation’s breadbasket, a lush expanse of silt and soil regularly replenished by the flooding of the Danube and Tisza rivers. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025

Little Rock Corps District spokesman Tomas Rofkahr said the wintertime drop in tonnage can be attributed to river traffic issues in November and December, including the temporary closure and delay at the Dardanelle Lock and Dam earlier this winter. —Arkansas Online, 30 Dec. 2025

Atmospheric river storms make the risk of overtopping and breaches much higher. —Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rivere, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *riparia, from Latin, feminine of riparius riparian, from ripa bank, shore; perhaps akin to Greek ereipein to tear down

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing river

• atmospheric river
• down the river
• mouth of the river
• river blindness
• river dolphin
• river duck
• river horse
• river mouth
• river otter
• river's mouth
• sell down the river

Rhymes for river

• giver
• liver
• livre
• quiver
• shiver
• sliver
• caregiver
• deliver
• downriver
• lawgiver
• upriver

Kids Definition

river

noun

riv·​er ˈriv-ər 

1

: a natural stream of water larger than a brook or creek

2

: a large stream or flow

the jet stream is a river of air

Etymology

Middle English rivere "river," from early French rivere (same meaning), derived from Latin riparius "related to or located on the bank of a river," from ripa "shore"