noun
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precipitation in the form of raindrops
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meteorol the amount of precipitation in a specified place and time
Etymology
Origin of rainfall
Vocabulary lists containing rainfall
The Water Cycle - Introductory
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Earth Science - Middle School
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The Water Cycle - Middle School and High School
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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.
Based on that evidence, Dr. Motta explains that "70 million years ago the climate was temperate and humid, with seasonal rainfall, very different from the current cold and relatively dry conditions."
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
"I was looking for a crop that could survive with very little water, grow with rainfall, and not depend heavily on pesticides," he explains.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
El Nino -- a natural climate cycle phase -- influences global weather and increases the likelihood of drought, heavy rainfall and other climate extremes.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Researchers say the lower number is probably attributable to the higher-than-average seasonal rainfall in Southern California, a region that has historically dominated the “honor roll” list.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
From its original point of entrance the Japanese beetle has spread rather widely throughout many of the states east of the Mississippi, where conditions of temperature and rainfall are suitable for it.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
