freshwater
Americanadjective
-
of or living in water that is fresh or not salt.
freshwater fish.
-
accustomed to fresh water only, and not to the sea.
a freshwater sailor.
-
small, provincial, or little known.
a freshwater college.
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Obsolete. untrained or of little experience.
noun
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of, relating to, or living in fresh water
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(esp of a sailor who has not sailed on the sea) unskilled or inexperienced
-
small and little known
a freshwater school
Etymology
Origin of freshwater
Explanation
The adjective freshwater describes an aquatic environment with very little salt, like a stream or a pond, or an animal that lives there. Water bodies that started as precipitation are freshwater, whether the water came from rain, snowfall, or melting glaciers. A freshwater lake, unlike a salt lake, sea, or ocean, has a low concentration of salts and other minerals. Freshwater bodies make up less than three percent of the earth's water. Freshwater fish and amphibians are the ones that are adapted to live in ponds, lakes, and streams, in contrast to those that thrive in salty water.
Vocabulary lists containing freshwater
South America - Middle School
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Russia - Introductory
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South America - 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.
Mr. Jones describes a freshwater snail that, sensing a predator, instinctively climbs or descends depending on where the perceived threat tends to hunt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
This comes as conservationists at the estate introduced new freshwater habitats, providing a refuge for the heron, but also water voles, otters, pine martens, and even white-tailed eagles.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
We didn’t have whales, just freshwater fish like alewifes, which stunk up the beaches with annual die-offs that occurred in huge numbers.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Reavie usually studies algae in the Great Lakes, where they make up the base of the freshwater food web, supporting an ecosystem that in turn supports a $5 billion fishing economy.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
So far there’s been no sign of a freshwater stream or pond, and the saltwater’s undrinkable.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
