coastal
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coastal
Explanation
Coastal things are near the ocean. If you like spending time at the beach, you might take a trip to a sunny, coastal vacation spot. Be sure to pack your swimsuit! You might read phrases like "coastal waters" or "coastal erosion" in an environmental science textbook. The coast is the land that borders an ocean or sea, and the adjective coastal describes things that affect the coast or are located there. Before it meant "edge of the land," coast referred to a body part—specifically, the rib or "flank."
Vocabulary lists containing coastal
The United States
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South America - Middle School
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Canada - Introductory
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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.
“Located in the desirable Breakwater Shores neighborhood, this split-level residence overlooking the pond offers coastal living with peaceful water views and glimpses of the ocean beyond,” the description continues.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
Researchers believe the oversized chelae on its front legs were likely used to seize and hold small insect prey as it hunted through the ancient coastal environment.
From Science Daily • May 25, 2026
A year ago, Garcia Venegas was filming his brother’s arrest during a raid on their coastal Alabama construction site when he was tackled by agents, who ignored his pleas that he was a citizen.
From Salon • May 24, 2026
At the coastal town of Elsinore, the kingdom forced ships to stop under the watchful eye of cannons and pay a tax based on cargo value.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
But even I felt completely overwhelmed at times by the foreign sights, smells, and sounds of this ancient coastal city.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
