floodplain

noun

flood·​plain ˈfləd-ˌplān How to pronounce floodplain (audio)
1
: level land that may be submerged by floodwaters
2
: a plain built up by stream deposition

Examples of floodplain in a Sentence

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.
Although one study found that some areas are finally beginning to curb floodplain development, people keep building in perilous places. Tik Root, Wired News, 26 July 2025 Like many other towns at risk, most of Nogales was built on a floodplain because that was the flattest spot, Sanchez said. Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 24 July 2025 Subdivisions and housing developments have sprouted up, and more homes and businesses have been built in the floodplain. John Seabrook, New Yorker, 21 July 2025 Texas state Representative Don McLaughlin, a Republican, has already introduced legislation requiring the state's top public health official to set building standards for youth camps in 100-year floodplains. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for floodplain

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of floodplain was in 1873

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Floodplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodplain. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

floodplain

noun
flood·​plain -ˌplān How to pronounce floodplain (audio)
1
: low flat land along a stream or river that may flood
2
: a plain built up from earth left by floodwaters

More from Merriam-Webster on floodplain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!