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

Spanning both Coachella weekends, the four poolside shows blend electronic music with the venue's wave pool, lazy river, and open-air amphitheater — creating a unique daytime oasis of surf, sound and hospitality. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

Unlike oil, which flows through pipelines and centralized infrastructure, gold production in southern Venezuela is dispersed across hundreds of small sites accessible only by river, dirt tracks or airstrips. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

Jaros said sea turtles are drawn to river environments for their warmer temperatures and available food sources, but those same waterways act as funnels for urban runoff and debris, making entanglement a recurring danger for the species. —Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

Buddhists often celebrate Vesak with processions, by visiting temples, meditating and through acts of fasting, while adherents in India may immerse themselves in the river Ganga to wash away their sins. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026

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
• up 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"