semiarid

[ sem-ee-ar-id, sem-ahy- ]

adjective

1. characterized by very little annual rainfall, usually from 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters):

   the struggle to raise vegetables in semiarid regions.

semiarid

/ ˌsɛmɪˈærɪd /

adjective

1. characterized by scanty rainfall and scrubby vegetation, often occurring in continental interiors

   the semiarid regions of Australia

semiarid

/ sĕm′ē-ăr′ĭd /

1. Having low precipitation but able to support grassland and scrubby vegetation. Steppes have semiarid climates.

Derived Forms

• ˌsemiaˈridity, noun

Other Words From

• sem·i·a·rid·ity [sem-ee-, uh, -, rid, -i-tee, sem-ahy-], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of semiarid¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; semi- + arid

Example Sentences

He said the military needed to reassert how its longstanding strategy can foster stability throughout the Sahel, the semiarid region south of the Sahara Desert.

From Seattle Times

In the Sahel, the semiarid region bordering the Sahara that runs across the African continent, tens of thousands of teenagers have joined militant groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

From Seattle Times

The city of 3 million sits in the semiarid plains of central India, where summer temperatures can reach nearly 49°C.

From Science Magazine

Not so in Africa, especially in the Sahel, the vast, semiarid region south of the Sahara where groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are gaining ground at an alarming pace.

From New York Times

Its eastern region, semiarid and isolated, already has more than 400,000 refugees from Darfur living in 13 camps, which are now filling with new arrivals helped by the U.N. refugee agency.

From New York Times