inundation

American  

[in-uhn-dey-shuhn, -uhn-] / ˌɪn ənˈdeɪ ʃən, -ʌn- /

noun

1. the condition of being flooded.

   Researchers are warning that accelerated sea level change threatens hundreds of thousands of coastal homes with inundation.

2. a flood.

   Areas shaded in purple on the map may see an inundation of 3 to 12 feet.

3. the condition or state of being overwhelmed.

   Angkor Wat, the magnificent temple of the Khmer Empire, faces inundation by tourists and environmental dangers.

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Other Word Forms

• superinundation noun

Etymology

Origin of inundation

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin inundātiōn-, stem of inundātiō “a flooding,” from inundāre “to flood, overflow”; inundate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )