groundwater

American  

[ground-waw-ter, -woter] / ˈgraʊndˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒtər /

Also ground water

noun

• groundwaters
  plural

1. the water beneath the surface of the ground, consisting largely of surface water that has seeped down: the source of water in springs and wells.

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groundwater Scientific  

/ ground′wô′tər /

1. Water that collects or flows beneath the Earth's surface, filling the porous spaces in soil, sediment, and rocks. Groundwater originates from rain and from melting snow and ice and is the source of water for aquifers, springs, and wells. The upper surface of groundwater is the water table.

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groundwater Cultural  

1. Water that seeps through the soil or rocks underground.

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Discover More

Groundwater can be contaminated by chemical pollutants. (See water pollution.)

Groundwater is a source of drinking and spring water for many communities.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• groundwaters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of groundwater

First recorded in 1885–90; ground ¹ ( def. ) + water ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

groundwater groundwaters

Officials created the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District in 1975 to regulate groundwater use, encourage alternative water sources, and promote water conservation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

Among the most important contributors are heavy groundwater pumping, oil and gas extraction, the compression of relatively young sediments in river deltas, and the weight of expanding urban areas.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

Farms in the Central Valley, which produce large quantities of nuts, fruits, vegetables and dairy products, have rapidly depleted groundwater in many areas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

It is rivers and groundwater levels which have been significantly impacted by a sudden drop in rainfall.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

“There’s groundwater very, very far below us,” Pond said.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

"Natural hydrogen is produced over time through underground chemical reactions between rocks and the groundwaters in those rocks," says Sherwood Lollar.

From Science Daily ● May 20, 2026

"Rising groundwaters can lead to flooding of coastal cities, waterlogging of farmlands and salinization of groundwaters and soils."

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2024

But to the surprise of Ruff’s team, the older, deeper groundwaters held more cells than the fresher waters did.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 22, 2023

The underground parking has been abandoned to the rising groundwaters.

From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2022

It is, of course, not only the groundwaters that are becoming contaminated, but surface-moving waters as well — streams, rivers, irrigation waters.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson