littoral
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean.
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(on ocean shores) of or relating to the biogeographic region between the sublittoral zone and the high-water line and sometimes including the supralittoral zone above the high-water line.
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of or relating to the region of freshwater lake beds from the sublittoral zone up to and including damp areas on shore.
noun
adjective
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of or relating to the shore of a sea, lake, or ocean
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biology inhabiting the shore of a sea or lake or the shallow waters near the shore
littoral fauna
noun
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Relating to the coastal zone between the limits of high and low tides. The littoral zone is subject to a wide range of environmental conditions, including high-energy wave action and intermittent periods of flooding and drying along with the associated fluctuations in exposure to solar radiation and extremes of temperature.
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Compare sublittoral
Etymology
Origin of littoral
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin littorālis, variant of lītorālis “of the shore,” equivalent to lītor- (stem of lītus ) “shore” + -ālis, adjective suffix; -al 1 ( def. ); Lido ( def. ), lido ( def. )
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.
Thomas Quarry I sits within the raised coastal formations of the Rabat-Casablanca littoral, an area internationally recognized for its remarkably complete record of Plio-Pleistocene shorelines, dunes, and cave systems.
From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026
The Houthis command the Tihamah coastal plain, the eastern littoral of the Red Sea.
From Salon • Jul. 14, 2024
That means Australia plans to develop a larger and more lethal navy, an army that can operate better in littoral environments, a better air force, as well as more cyber and space capabilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2024
The new JL-3 will have a range of 5,400 nautical miles and be able to target portions of the continental United States from Chinese littoral waters.
From Washington Times • Nov. 8, 2023
“Not necessarily. I think what you’ve got here, Brady, is a littoral drift.”
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
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.
