French word

littoral

Pronunciation

IPA/litoʁal/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncoast

Example

Le littoral est très fréquenté en été.

The coast is very busy in summer.

Illustration for littoral (coast)

More examples

Ma sœur vit sur le littoral depuis cinq ans.

My sister has lived on the coast for five years.

Core concept

A coastal belt shaped by waves, tides, and the activities concentrated beside the sea.

Common phrases

  • vivre sur le littoral

    live on the coast

  • passer ses vacances sur le littoral

    spend one's vacation on the coast

Similar words

plage: A sandy or pebbly shore beside the sea or a lake where people relax and play.
côte: The stretch of land along the sea that forms a coastline.
bord de mer: A seaside town, district, or other coastal area.

Definition in French

Bande de terre qui borde la mer, la zone de contact entre la mer et les terres adjacentes.

Word origin

French littoral is a learned borrowing from Latin littoralis, meaning "of the shore," derived from litus, meaning "shore."

Usage tips

  • Littoral is a masculine noun, so the usual form is le littoral, and its formal geographic register is broader than plage.

Other meanings

  • seasidenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word