Euphrates

American  

[yoo-frey-teez] / juˈfreɪ tiz /

noun

1. a river in SW Asia, flowing from E Turkey through Syria and Iraq, joining the Tigris to form the Shatt-al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. 1,700 miles (2,735 km) long.

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Euphrates British  

/ juːˈfreɪtiːz /

noun

1. a river in SW Asia, rising in E Turkey and flowing south across Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris, forming the Shatt-al-Arab, which flows to the head of the Persian Gulf: important in ancient times for the extensive irrigation of its valley (in Mesopotamia). Length: 3598 km (2235 miles)

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Other Word Forms

• Euphratean
  adjective
• trans-Euphrates
  adjective

Example Sentences

Syrian authorities have said the country was experiencing an "exceptional" rise in water levels along the Euphrates River, which originates in Turkey and flows through the Raqa and Deir Ezzor provinces before reaching neighbouring Iraq.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Earlier, the army took the strategic Tabqa dam on the Euphrates river.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Dozens of residents crossed the Euphrates in boats after two bridges were destroyed, while residents toppled a statue of a woman erected by Kurdish forces.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

Syrian pro-government forces took a strategic military base, oil facilities and a dam on the Euphrates river from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, altering the balance of power in their continuing military contest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

The Tigris- Euphrates, Nile, Indus, and Huang He Valleys were fertile, sunny, well-watered breadbaskets with long stretches of bottomland that practically invited farmers to stick seeds in the soil.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann