geomorphology

American  

[jee-uh-mawr-fol-uh-jee] / ˌdʒi ə mɔrˈfɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the study of the characteristics, origin, and development of landforms.

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geomorphology British  

/ ˌdʒiːəʊmɔːˈfɒdʒənɪ, ˌdʒiːəʊmɔːˈfɒlədʒɪ, ˌdʒiːəʊˌmɔːfəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

1. the branch of geology that is concerned with the structure, origin, and development of the topographical features of the earth's surface

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geomorphology Scientific  

/ jē′ō-môr-fŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of the formation, alteration, and configuration of landforms and their relationship with underlying structures.

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Other Word Forms

• geomorphologic
  adjective
• geomorphological
  adjective
• geomorphologically
  adverb
• geomorphologist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of geomorphology

First recorded in 1890–95; geo- + morphology

Explanation

Geomorphology is the study of why the landscape is shaped how it is. Why is there a mountain there, and how did it come to be? Ask someone who knows about geomorphology. Morphology is a word that means "the study of shape." It's used in linguistics (the shapes of words), biology (the shapes of animals) and geology (the shapes of landscapes). When it's used in a geology context, it's sometimes called geomorphology just to let you know which type of morphology you're dealing with. Geo means "land" or "earth," so you could think of geomorphology as meaning "the study of the shape of the land."

Example Sentences

Financial support from the British Society of Geomorphology made the visit possible.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2025

A more detailed picture has finally come into focus with this latest study, which was published in the journal Geomorphology and turned into a searchable website.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2022

Geomorphology is the part of geography which deals with terrestrial relief, including the submarine as well as the suba�rial portions of the crust.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various