Synonyms

coastal

American

[kohs-tl] / ˈkoʊs tl /

adjective

of, relating to, bordering on, or located near a coast.

The coastal regions are inundated at high tide.

Other Word Forms

coastally adverb

Etymology

Origin of coastal

First recorded in 1880–85; coast + -al ¹

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.

He took the famous California coastal route the 1 back to his home in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Analysts blame the rising temperatures in Lagos on climate change, its coastal location, dense population, limited greenery and heavy traffic.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

"We desperately need more of these land-to-ocean connection studies if we're to fully grapple with the problem of global warming and the effects it will have on coastal ecosystems."

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

Here they managed to take a break by kayaking, in order to explore the town's coastal caves.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

While the savannas and mangroves of coastal southern New Guinea are fairly similar to those of northern Australia, other habitats of the hemi-continents differ in almost all major respects.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023