retaining wall

American

noun

a wall for holding in place a mass of earth or the like, as at the edge of a terrace or excavation.

retaining wall British

noun

Also called: revetment. a wall constructed to hold back earth, loose rock, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of retaining wall

First recorded in 1830–40

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.

See Examples For:

retaining wall

Kosin and his family lifted their belongings once they saw the water level was higher than the canal retaining wall, but their ground floor was still left soaked.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

The extensively engineered retaining wall and thoughtful landscaping transformed the property into a series of expansive outdoor living spaces designed for entertaining, decompressing, and fully embracing the indoor-outdoor lifestyle.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

A fossil dating back 240 million years has finally been formally identified after spending decades hidden inside a retaining wall.

From Science Daily ● May 6, 2026

Once again, his crew threw the 20-foot ladder over the retaining wall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

I sat on the retaining wall and watched her walk away.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023