Spanish word

litoral

Pronunciation

IPA/litoˈɾal/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncoast

Example

Vamos a caminar por el litoral.

We're going to walk along the coast.

Illustration for litoral (coast)

More examples

En el litoral se mezclan paisaje urbano y playas.

On the coast, urban landscape and beaches mix.

Core concept

Narrow strip of land directly along the sea.

Common phrases

  • franja del litoral

    strip of coast

  • playas del litoral

    beaches of the coast

Similar words

costa: Long stretch of land bordering the sea that forms the coastline.
playa: Sandy or pebbly seashore directly beside the sea.
orilla: Edge of land that directly touches a body of water.

Definition in Spanish

Franja de terreno que bordea el mar, considerada la zona inmediata junto al agua.

Word origin

The word derives from Latin litus 'shore' via the medieval Latin adjective litoralis into Spanish litoral.

Usage tips

  • Playa refers to a sandy beach and costa to the general coast, while litoral denotes the coastal zone or shoreline and appears more in geographic or formal contexts.

Other meanings

  • seashorenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word