often attributive
1
a
: a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume
b
2
a
: something resembling a river
a river of lava
b
rivers plural
: large or overwhelming quantities
drank rivers of coffee
see also:
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
According to Storyful, which received a clip of the rescue from the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, a Goldendoodle somehow ended up stranded in the middle of the river and was unable to swim to safety.
—
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
They have been found everywhere on Earth, from rivers to air to plants, animals and food—and our body.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
Furthermore, the area is at even greater risk of biodiversity loss thanks to potential plans to divert the river upstream to irrigate crops during the dry season.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
Then the Hays eagles were spotted across the river in Glen Hazel in a new nest.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for river
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Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
They have been found everywhere on Earth, from rivers to air to plants, animals and food—and our body.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
Furthermore, the area is at even greater risk of biodiversity loss thanks to potential plans to divert the river upstream to irrigate crops during the dry season.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
Then the Hays eagles were spotted across the river in Glen Hazel in a new nest.
—Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for river
Cite this Entry
“River.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/river. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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"
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