French word

inondation

Pronunciation

IPA/inɔ̃dasjɔ̃/

Meaning

  • feminine nounflood

Example

Il y a eu une inondation hier soir.

There was a flood last night.

Illustration for inondation (flood)

More examples

On craint une nouvelle inondation après de fortes pluies.

Another flood is feared after heavy rains.

Core concept

A sudden blanket of water covers places where people live and travel, damaging property and disrupting daily life.

Common phrases

  • niveau d'inondation

    flood level

  • prévision d'inondation

    flood forecast

  • victimes de l'inondation

    flood victims

Similar words

crue: A river's water level rising higher than normal.
débordement: Water spilling from a river or ditch onto the surrounding land.

Definition in French

Entrée et accumulation d'eau qui recouvre des terrains, des habitations ou des voies et provoque des dégâts matériels et des perturbations.

Word origin

French inondation developed from Latin inundatio, based on inundare, "to overflow," from in- and unda, "wave."

Usage tips

  • Inondation names the covering flood, whereas crue more specifically describes a river's rise and does not always imply overflow onto land.

Other meanings

  • floodingnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • inondéfloodedadjective
  • inondableflood-proneadjective

Word lists with this word