adjective
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relating to, characterized by, or affected by tides
a tidal estuary
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dependent on the state of the tide
a tidal ferry
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(of a glacier) reaching the sea and discharging floes or icebergs
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tidal
Explanation
Anything tidal is related to the regular rise and fall of the sea level due to gravitational forces. A marine biologist might study the effects of tidal patterns on local sea life. Tidal conditions are caused by many things, from the rotation of the Earth to the position of the Moon, and tidal effects can be seen not just in the ocean tide itself, but in rivers, lakes, and currents, and even on the Earth's surface. A common name for a tsunami is a "tidal wave," although these earthquake-caused surges of ocean water don't actually have any connection to tides.
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.
"Darkness came like a tidal wave," he sings on the concerningly titled Reason To Die.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Reginald Pole Carew, who had inherited Antony, wanted somewhere to swim in the stretch of woodland on the bank of the tidal River Lynher.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
One area of concern is on Highway 1 in Ventura County near Point Mugu, where water got underneath the roadway and weakened it, which “makes it more susceptible to additional tidal events,” Hall said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
The team initially examined 20 tidal disruption events using observations collected in visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and radio wavelengths.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Or something worse—whatever tidal wave of spirits she’d felt coming.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
