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.
The layoffs will mean the headcount at the company - which owns Square, CashApp and Tidal - will fall to less than 6,000 from 10,000.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
He has an ownership stake in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets as well as the music streaming service Tidal, and each of his six studio records has hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
Humane retained Tidal Partners, an investment bank, to help navigate the discussions while also managing a new funding round that would value it at $1.1 billion, three people with knowledge of the plans said.
From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024
Biden, in his remarks, passed up a chance to mention Stumpy, the gnarled and hollow old cherry tree that stands on the Tidal Basin’s south bank.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024
Tidal pools came at low tide in Boston, in Phippsburg, in Timbuktu.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
