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Synonyms

rainfall

American  
[reyn-fawl] / ˈreɪnˌfɔl /

noun

  1. a fall or shower of rain.

  2. the amount of water falling in rain, snow, etc., within a given time and area, usually expressed as a hypothetical depth of coverage.

    a rainfall of 70 inches a year.
rainfall British  
/ ˈreɪnˌfɔːl /

noun

  1. precipitation in the form of raindrops

  2. meteorol the amount of precipitation in a specified place and time

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
rainfall Scientific  
/ rān′fôl′ /

  1. The quantity of water, usually expressed in millimeters or inches, that is precipitated in liquid form in a specified area and time interval. Rainfall is often considered to include solid precipitation such as snow, hail, and sleet as well.

Etymology

Origin of rainfall

First recorded in 1840–50; rain + fall

Vocabulary lists containing rainfall

The Water Cycle - Introductory

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Earth Science - Middle School

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The Water Cycle - Middle School and High School

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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.

Rainfall totals of half an inch to 1.5 inches are expected in the mountain and foothill regions, and there is a chance of a dusting of snow in areas above 6,000 feet elevation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Rainfall predictions in the equatorial Pacific show a lingering La Nina-like pattern, but in other parts of the world the signal is more mixed, it says.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

Rainfall has been sparse in Lesh’s region of the state.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

Rainfall moves slowly through the water cycle, needing to soak deep through the soil and way down into the groundwater stores.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

According to Charles R. Clement, the Manaus botanist, though, the first Amazonians did avoid the Dilemma of Rainfall Physics.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions 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.