landfall

American  

[land-fawl] / ˈlændˌfɔl /

noun

1. an approach to or sighting of land.

   The ship will make its landfall at noon tomorrow.

2. the land sighted or reached.

3. a landslide.

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landfall British  

/ ˈlændˌfɔːl /

noun

1. the act of sighting or nearing land, esp from the sea

2. the land sighted or neared

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Etymology

Origin of landfall

First recorded in 1620–30; land + fall

Explanation

Landfall is the first glimpse of land when you're on a boat. It can also mean the moment your boat touches the shore, like when your kayak makes landfall on a remote island. If you're traveling at sea, arriving at your destination is landfall. A child paddling a rowboat across a pond makes landfall when she reaches the far shore, and the captain of an ocean liner makes landfall at each remote stop on the route. A sailor might call out, "Landfall!" at the first sight of land on the horizon. The word landfall uses the sense of fall that means "happen."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

landfall

After slamming into the Japanese islands and sweeping past Taiwan's northern tip, Bavi is expected to make landfall in eastern China over the weekend.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Some forecasts suggest Bavi could make landfall twice in China.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Bavi is expected to make landfall or bypass Taiwan on Saturday before hitting the coast of China's Fujian and Zhejiang provinces that evening, state media reported.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

Maysak is the first typhoon to make landfall in China this year.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Having crossed the Weddell Sea, Shackleton would make landfall at the best opportunity, and then set out across the continent.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong