tidal

adjective

tid·​al ˈtī-dᵊl 

1

a

: of, relating to, caused by, or having tides

tidal cycles

tidal erosion

b

: periodically rising and falling or flowing and ebbing

tidal waters

2

: dependent (as to the time of arrival or departure) upon the state of the tide

a tidal steamer

tidally

ˈtī-dᵊl-ē 

adverb

Examples of tidal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This generates powerful tidal forces in stars that get too close, squashing them horizontally and stretching them vertically. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Feb. 2025

Headquartered in Poole, on the UK’s south coast, the company is interested in larger-scale tidal power and has just co-funded a three-year PhD studentship at nearby Bournemouth University. —Victoria Turk, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2025

These regions are also prone to dramatic fluctuations in oxygen levels, especially in small tidal pools. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

The phenomenon results from rapid tidal currents squeezing between two gorges, making the water rush as quickly and dramatically as, well, a waterfall, only horizontally. —Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tidal

• tidal wave

Kids Definition

tidal

adjective

tid·​al ˈtīd-ᵊl 

: of or relating to tides : rising and falling or flowing and ebbing at regular times

Medical Definition

tidal

adjective

tid·​al ˈtīd-ᵊl 

: of, relating to, or constituting tidal air

interference with the normal tidal exchange of the lungs

—F. R. Mautz & R. M. Hosler