What does "river" mean?
A large and often winding stream which drains a land mass, carrying water down from higher areas to a lower point, oftentimes ending in another body of water, such as an ocean or in an inland sea.
River
/ˈɹɪvɚ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A large and often winding stream which drains a land mass, carrying water down from higher areas to a lower point, oftentimes ending in another body of water, such as an ocean or in an inland sea.
- Grammar: river is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: stream, aare, adolescent stream, amur.
- Useful contrasts: arroyo, arroyos, becks.
- Usage evidence: It is dangerous for you to swim in this river.
How to use "river"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "river" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "river" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "river" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "river" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "river" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "stream" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "river", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A large and often winding stream which drains a land mass, carrying water down from higher areas to a lower point, oftentimes ending in another body of water, such as an ocean or in an inland sea.
"Occasionally rivers overflow their banks and cause floods."
- 2 One who rives or splits.
- 3 a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek) wordnet
- 4 Any large flow of a liquid in a single body.
"a river of blood"
- 5 The last card dealt in a hand.
"He called instantly but was too ashamed to show until the river."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A visually undesirable effect of white space running down a page, caused by spaces between words on consecutive lines happening to coincide.
Verb
- 1 To improve one’s hand to beat another player on the final card in a poker game.
"Johnny rivered me by drawing that ace of spades."
Proper Noun
- 1 A unisex given name. countable, uncountable
"Wash: Little River gets more colorful by the moment. What'll she do next? Zoe: Either blow us all up or rub soup in our hair. It's a toss-up. Wash: I hope she does the soup thing, it's always a hoot and we don't all die from it."
- 2 A surname. countable, rare, uncountable
- 3 A place name:; A suburban village and civil parish in Dover district, Kent, England (OS grid ref TR2943). countable, uncountable
- 4 A place name:; A hamlet in Tillington parish, Chichester district, West Sussex, England (OS grid ref SU9322). countable, uncountable
- 5 A place name:; A township in Red Lake County, Minnesota, United States. countable, uncountable
Example
"It is dangerous for you to swim in this river."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "river"?
Common synonyms include: stream, aare, adolescent stream, amur, anabranch, araguaia.
How do you use "river" in a sentence?
It is dangerous for you to swim in this river.
How do you pronounce "river"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɪvɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English ryver, from Anglo-Norman rivere, from Early Medieval Latin rīpāria (“littoral, riverbank”), from Latin rīpārius (“of a riverbank”), from Latin rīpa (“river bank”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyp- (“to scratch, tear, cut”). Unrelated to Latin rīvus (“stream”) (whence rival, derive). Doublet of riviera and rivière. Displaced native Old English ēa.
Etymology 2
From rive + -er.
Etymology 3
From river.