wetland

noun

wet·​land ˈwet-ˌland How to pronounce wetland (audio)
-lənd
: land or areas (such as marshes or swamps) that are covered often intermittently with shallow water or have soil saturated with moisture
usually used in plural

Examples of wetland in a Sentence

the conservation board has not always been rigorous in protecting the wetlands from development
Recent Examples on the Web The only tactic available, really, is reducing nutrient runoff into lakes and rivers, for example by lowering fertilizer use on farms and building buffer zones or artificial wetlands around the edges of large bodies of water to try to soak up the nutrients. Chris Baraniuk, WIRED, 11 Sep. 2023 Just north of Point Pleasant sits the McClintic Wildlife Management Area, over 3,600 acres of wetlands and forest. Colin Dickey, Popular Mechanics, 31 Aug. 2023 Over 95% of wetlands in the Lower Basin contain sediment that is toxic to wildlife. Martin Schiavenato, The Conversation, 30 Aug. 2023 The professor points to a disturbance in nature that began long ago – the transformation of wetlands into stretches of fallow cash-crop fields today. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Aug. 2023 Up to 63 percent of wetlands by acreage in the United States could also be affected, the official added, citing mapping done by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Allyson Chiu, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2023 The rule would require that wetlands be more clearly connected to other waters like oceans and rivers, a policy shift that departs from a half-century of federal rules governing the nation’s waterways. Michael Phillis, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2023 Four more phases followed, restoring wetlands, floodplains and aquatic habitat with the help of the environmental nonprofit Trout Unlimited. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023 The Korean coast guard said in a news release Sunday that an individual on a 1,800-cc red water scooter — carrying more than 200 liters, or more than 50 gallons, of fuel — had beached on Incheon’s wetlands and was detained for crossing the border illegally. Lyric Li, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wetland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1669, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wetland was in 1669

Dictionary Entries Near wetland

Cite this Entry

“Wetland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wetland. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

wetland

noun
wet·​land ˈwet-ˌland How to pronounce wetland (audio)
: land or areas (as marshes or swamps) having much soil moisture
usually used in plural

More from Merriam-Webster on wetland

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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