Riviera

[ riv-ee-air-uh; for 1 also Italian ree-vye-rah ]

noun
  1. a resort area along the Mediterranean coast, extending from Saint Tropez, in SE France, to La Spezia, in NW Italy.: French Côte d'Azur .

  2. (often lowercase) any similar coastal resort area: the Florida riviera.

Words Nearby Riviera

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Riviera in a sentence

  • "It's like that out here on the Riviera," said Jane, shaking her head so gloomily that the ruffled cap wobbled.

  • Our way lay along the sea by the Western Riviera, one of the garden spots of the world.

    Italian Days and Ways | Anne Hollingsworth Wharton
  • The cruisers in his command were stationed along the Riviera, east and west of Genoa itself.

    The Life of Nelson, Vol. I (of 2) | A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan
  • For the same object the coasting activity redoubled along the Riviera, from Toulon to the French front.

    The Life of Nelson, Vol. I (of 2) | A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan
  • In these positions, both armies depended for supplies partly upon the sea, partly upon the land road along the Riviera.

    The Life of Nelson, Vol. I (of 2) | A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan

British Dictionary definitions for riviera (1 of 2)

riviera

/ (ˌrɪvɪˈɛərə) /


noun
  1. a coastal region reminiscent of the Riviera

British Dictionary definitions for Riviera (2 of 2)

Riviera

/ (ˌrɪvɪˈɛərə) /


noun
  1. the Mediterranean coastal region between Cannes, France, and La Spezia, Italy: contains some of Europe's most popular resorts

Origin of Riviera

2
C18: from Italian literally: shore, ultimately from Latin rīpa bank, shore

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

Cultural definitions for Riviera

Riviera

Narrow strip of land in southeastern France and northwestern Italy on the Mediterranean Sea, also including Monaco. Cannes, Monte Carlo, and Nice are three of its best-known towns and cities.

Notes for Riviera

Its scenic beauty and mild climate make it a popular vacation area.

Notes for Riviera

The French Riviera is also called the Côte d'Azur (the azure coast).

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.