riparian
adjective
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Riparian came to English from the same source that gave us "river"—the Latin riparius, a noun deriving from ripa, meaning "bank" or "shore." First appearing in English in the 19th century, "riparian" refers to things that exist alongside a river (such as riparian wetlands, habitats, trees, etc.). Some river communities have laws called "riparian rights," referring to the rights of those owning land along a river to have access to the waterway. Note the distinction of this word from "littoral," which usually refers to things that occur along the shore of a sea or ocean.
Examples of riparian in a Sentence
Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 29 Oct. 2024
Surveys of the riparian areas of the park will continue in future years and restoration efforts along the Puerco River will include improving habitat for this secretive bird.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 14 Oct. 2024
The fire was burning near a riparian area, extending north toward Hewitt Station Road and close to Comet Peak, just a few miles east of the Queen Valley community.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2024
But if Belize Electricity Ltd. gets its way, one of the richest riparian habitats north of the Amazon will disappear beneath the waters of a controversial hydroelectric dam.
—David Ewing Duncan, Outside Online, 17 May 2022
See all Example Sentences for riparian 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'riparian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Riparian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riparian. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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riparian
adjective
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