Meaning & use
river system
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Meaning
nouncountable
a main river and all the streams, smaller rivers, and lakes that flow into it.
Grammar: Countable: say 'a river system' or 'river systems'.
Patterns
- a river system
- the river system of something
- a large river system
The Amazon river system carries more water than any other in the world.
Farmers in the river system depend on it for irrigation.
Pollution in one part of the river system can affect the whole area.
Word forms
| plural | river systems |
|---|
Common combinations
- a major river system
- The Nile is a major river system in northeastern Africa.
- the river system of a region
- The river system of the region supports many towns.
- part of a river system
- This lake is part of a large river system.
- the river system flows into
- The river system flows into the sea near the border.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: river system or river basin?
river system vs river basin
A river basin is the land area drained by a river; a river system is the network of rivers and streams themselves.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'river system' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'River system' means a main river and all the streams and smaller rivers that flow into it. The other options describe unrelated things.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “river system”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.