aquatic
Americanadjective
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of, in, or pertaining to water.
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living or growing in water.
aquatic plant life.
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taking place or practiced on or in water.
aquatic sports.
noun
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an aquatic plant or animal.
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aquatics, sports practiced on or in water.
adjective
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growing, living, or found in water
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sport performed in or on water
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aquatic
1480–90; < Latin aquāticus, equivalent to aqu ( a ) water + -āticus ( see -ate 1, -ic); replacing late Middle English aquatyque < Middle French < Latin, as above
Explanation
If it has to do with water, it's aquatic. If you prefer your volleyball net in a pool, it sounds like you're into aquatic sports. The word aquatic comes from the Latin word aqua, which means water. The adjective also describes something that takes place in water. If you are on a swimming or diving team, you can say you are into aquatic sports, which may take place at an aquatic center. If you visit an aquatic garden, you'll see plants that thrive in water like water lilies and lotus flowers.
Vocabulary lists containing aquatic
Something's Fishy: A Fresh Catch of Aquatic Words
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Elements of the Universe: Aqua ("Water")
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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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.
State officials say agencies have committed $2.9 billion under the program, much of which will go toward restoring aquatic habitat for fish in the Delta.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
A specialised aquatic rescue unit was airlifted to the area to aid in the search, the CPU said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Similar respiratory structures are still found in aquatic chelicerates such as horseshoe crabs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The tiny fish have a voracious appetite and work wonders as natural mosquito-control agents in abandoned swimming pools, small residential ponds, and other confined aquatic habitats.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
But there is no such rapid recovery of the larger aquatic insects, on which salmon in their second and third years depend.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
