inundation

[ in-uhn-dey-shuhn, -uhn- ]

noun

1. the condition of being flooded:

   Researchers are warning that accelerated sea level change threatens hundreds of thousands of coastal homes with inundation.

2. a flood:

   Areas shaded in purple on the map may see an inundation of 3 to 12 feet.

3. the condition or state of being overwhelmed:

   Angkor Wat, the magnificent temple of the Khmer Empire, faces inundation by tourists and environmental dangers.

Other Words From

• su·per·in·un·da·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inundation¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin inundātiōn-, stem of inundātiō “a flooding,” from inundāre “to flood, overflow”; inundate ( def ), -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

This could lead to inundation of sewage works and potential flooding of homes, roads and open spaces.

From BBC

The inundation decimated farmland already ravaged by a series of storms.

From Salon

Much of that 19th century system survives, in updated form — and its vulnerability to inundation has been only partly countered by the pre-Olympics cleanup binge.

From Los Angeles Times

Professor Mona Webber from the University of the West Indies added: "It is very important for Caribbean Islands being affected by the sargassum inundation to be able to benefit from its valorization. Understanding how the sargassum we collect in Jamaica has changed en route to our shores and factors that could affect especially the arsenic content, will propel us towards safe use of the algal biomass."

From Science Daily

He later added that "it is one significant step along the path of Antarctic ice sheet collapse and major inundation of our coastlines. A worrying sign that really does underscore the urgency of climate action."

From Salon