amphibious

American  

[am-fib-ee-uhs] / æmˈfɪb i əs /

adjective

1. living or able to live both on land and in water; belonging to both land and water.

2. Also capable of operating on both land and water.

   amphibious vehicles.

3. of or relating to military operations by both land and naval forces against the same object, especially to a military attack by troops landed by naval ships.

4. trained or organized to fight, or fighting, on both land and sea.

   amphibious troops.

5. combining two qualities, kinds, traits, etc.; of or having a mixed or twofold nature.

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amphibious British  

/ æmˈfɪbɪəs /

adjective

1. able to live both on land and in the water, as frogs, toads, etc

2. designed for operation on or from both water and land

3. relating to military forces and equipment organized for operations launched from the sea against an enemy shore

4. having a dual or mixed nature

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Other Word Forms

• amphibiousness
  noun
• nonamphibiousness
  noun
• nonamphibious
  adjective
• amphibiously
  adverb
• nonamphibiously
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of amphibious

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin amphibius, from Greek amphíbios “living a double life”; see amphi-, bio-, -ous

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Explanation

If you can drive your car down the highway and then go off road and ford a few rivers, too, you've got an amphibious vehicle — something that works on land and in the water, too. Amphibious also describes animals that can live on land or in the water — like frogs and toads — and comes from the Greek roots amphi "both" and bios "life." Military operations where both your army and your navy are involved — one attacking by land and the other by sea — are called amphibious assaults or amphibious operations.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amphibious

Instead, early forms retained and modified features inherited from aquatic ancestors, spending an extended period in a semi-aquatic, amphibious way of life.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

With no apparent results from bombing and blockade, Truman’s atomic option was largely driven by the alternative: an amphibious invasion of Japan’s mainland islands.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Ortiz Canseco was reported missing from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage early Thursday morning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Sailors and Marines are using landing and amphibious craft to deliver aid to the most affected coastal areas.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Probably come in here with amphibious planes, small bushplanes with floats that could land right here on the lake and pick him up and take him home.

From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

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Related Words

• floating
• marine
• maritime

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