wetland

American  

[wet-land] / ˈwɛtˌlænd /

noun

• wetlands
  plural

1. Often wetlands. land that has a wet and spongy soil, as a marsh, swamp, or bog.

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wetland British  

/ ˈwɛtlənd /

noun

1. (sometimes plural)

   1. an area of swampy or marshy land, esp considered as part of an ecological system

   2. ( as modifier )

      wetland species

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wetland Scientific  

/ wĕt′lănd′ /

1. A low-lying area of land that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife. Marshes, swamps, and bogs are examples of wetlands.

2. See more at lacustrine marine palustrine riverine

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Closer Look

Wetlands are areas such as swamps, bogs, and marshes where water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface, particularly in the root zone, at least a good portion of the year, including the growing season. In the past, wetlands were generally considered unproductive or undesirable lands—smelly and unhealthful, a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests—and many were filled in to create farmland or to develop land for housing and industrial use. More than half of the original wetlands in the continental United States have disappeared in the name of reclamation, disease prevention, and flood control. Scientists now realize that, far from being noxious barrens, wetlands play a key role in the ecosystem. They act as filters, removing pollutants, including metals, from waters. They serve as reservoirs, and they aid flood and erosion control by absorbing excess water. Wetlands are home to a great variety of plant and animal species, some endangered, that have evolved to live in the wetland's unique conditions. The preservation and, where possible, restoration of these vital habitats has become a primary goal of environmentalists around the world.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• wetlands
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of wetland

First recorded in 1770–80; wet + -land

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Explanation

An ecosystem that is extremely soggy — like a bog or a swamp — is a wetland. You can find plants including cattails and water lilies growing in wetlands. Coined in the 1740s, wetland is a fairly obvious combination of wet and land, which perfectly describes what they're like. Whether they're saturated with saltwater or freshwater, these ecosystems support many species of animals and plants. The presence of organisms that have adapted to live in areas that are usually (but not always) flooded is what distinguishes marshes, estuaries, and other wetlands from bodies of water.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wetland wetlands

More tree planting, wetland restoration and drainage work could take place in parts of Northamptonshire to "safeguard nature for generations to come".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

Not everyone shares her exhilaration at spotting a cranberry blue and a northern blue in a Danish wetland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Instead of racing through trees and vegetation, these fires smolder through dried wetland soils and large deposits of peat, often continuing underground at relatively low temperatures.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

The fires are difficult to extinguish because many occurred on peatlands, a wetland ecosystem with layers of partially decomposed organic materials that become flammable when dry.

From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026

One slammed into a wetland and buried itself deep in the mud without exploding.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

It has different types of wetlands, including freshwater and sailing lagoons as well as seasonally flooded areas.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

The ancient landscape surrounding the fossil site contained wetlands and marshes that could have provided suitable habitat for an enormous ambush predator.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Cerutti has renaturalised about a third of her 110 hectare property, including 25 hectares that have been turned into wetlands, which are now home to rare species such as the Large Copper butterfly.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

As an archaeologist in southern Scandinavia, I studied peat cores for pollen, fallen into nearby wetlands centuries earlier, to understand the nature of the historical plant life and climate of a particular site.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

By this time we were heading into town on Highway 6, the road slicing through the wetlands park.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

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Related Words

• bog
• glade

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