catchment area

American  

noun

1. an area served by a hospital, social service agency, etc.

2. drainage basin.

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catchment area British  

noun

1. Also called: catchment basin.   drainage area.   drainage basin.  the area of land bounded by watersheds draining into a river, basin, or reservoir

2. the area from which people are allocated to a particular school, hospital, etc

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catchment area Scientific  

/ kăch′mənt,kĕch′- /

1. The area drained by a river or body of water.

2. The area that absorbs water that contributes to a specific region's groundwater supply.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catchment area

The school had 13 pupils in the 2025/26 academic year, but that number is forecast to fall to just eight as the majority of the pupils in the catchment area are sent elsewhere.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

London and its catchment area have enjoyed bigger gains than elsewhere.

From BBC ● May 17, 2026

Italy represents Lufthansa’s largest catchment area outside the U.S. and its other home markets, making Italy a key hub for connecting passengers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

As the only top-flight club for more than 100 miles, Newcastle have a huge catchment area for support and players.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025

A hundred thousand people lived in the dam catchment area, but up to a million peasant farmers, coming from far away, relied on the clinic.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French