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.
Other particularly vulnerable countries include 39 island states that face challenges such as limited freshwater, import dependence, and inability to easily shelter elsewhere after a disaster such as a hurricane.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
If the fish remain in freshwater, they’ll be considered rainbows.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Police added that "although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law".
From BBC • May 20, 2026
When oxygen levels fall, river health can deteriorate, putting fish and other freshwater species at risk.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
Our town got its name from a freshwater mineral bath that bubbled up from deep underground.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
