wetland

noun

wet·​land ˈwet-ˌland How to pronounce wetland (audio)
-lənd
Synonyms of wetlandnext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to Brian Frank, chief engineer with the Lake County SMC, the county has not yet received an application regarding the wetlands on the Grayslake site. Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026 The plaintiffs stressed that the detention center had been put in a freshwater wetland near Everglades National Park, a pristine ecosystem inhabited by dozens of threatened or endangered species and not far from a Miccosukee village. Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026 This involved a weekslong search of the wetlands surrounding the launch site at Cape Canaveral for pieces of the booster. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026 They're mostly found in the swamps, sloughs, wetlands, and drainage ditches of the western coastal plain, and are occasionally found around rivers and lakes. Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for wetland

Word History

First Known Use

1669, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wetland was in 1669

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wetland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wetland. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

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

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