coastal
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coastal
Explanation
Coastal things are near the ocean. If you like spending time at the beach, you might take a trip to a sunny, coastal vacation spot. Be sure to pack your swimsuit! You might read phrases like "coastal waters" or "coastal erosion" in an environmental science textbook. The coast is the land that borders an ocean or sea, and the adjective coastal describes things that affect the coast or are located there. Before it meant "edge of the land," coast referred to a body part—specifically, the rib or "flank."
Vocabulary lists containing coastal
The United States
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South America - Middle School
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Canada - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even so, the hurricane brought torrential rainfall and flooding to coastal communities, including the port city of Manzanillo.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Meanwhile, populous coastal states such as California and New York have seen bills rise more slowly than the U.S. as a whole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Asked about the MI5 chief's comments, the first minister said he was "very worried" about a "lack of coastal and offshore protection".
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
“There’s a high risk for heat illness Thursday through Saturday,” said Kittell, as many residents do not have air conditioning in coastal areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
All German women who aren’t working for the military are being evacuated, together with their children, from the coastal regions to the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Gelderland.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
