Skip to main content
landform

landform

3 3.4
A natural shape on the Earth's surface like a mountain or valley
  • noun
  • /ˈlændˌfɔrm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : forma terrestre
  • Mount Everest is an impressive landform known as the highest mountain in the world.
  • coastal landforms
  • depositional landforms
  • natural landforms

Examples

  • Many other places are chosen because the landform interacts with certain important natural forces there.

    Academic text (1993)
  • In this case, the landforms themselves were not changed much.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The essential characteristics of a depositional landform are inextricably linked to its mobility and growth.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The spatial distribution of temporal changes alongshore reveals the history of landform changes.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Chatham's Nauset Beach is typical of the landforms enclosing thousands of miles of the coastal United States.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Undeveloped coasts thus display rapid mobility and a variety of landforms within short distances, ranging from meters to kilometers.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The Grand Canyon is one of the most famous landforms in the United States, attracting millions of visitors each year.

  • The rolling hills and valleys are beautiful landforms that shape the landscape of the countryside.

Synonyms

terrain
vslandform
179 3.8

A piece of land with features like hills, rocks, or flat ground

is a single natural shape of the surface like a mountain or valley

How Big

mountain
1.0
landform
  • Specialized
3 3.4
hill
1.0
knoll
20 7.2

Surface Forms

landform singular
landforms plural

Morphology

landform = land + form (transparent) = land + form

Direct, predictable compound: 'land' + 'form' denotes the shape or feature of the land, a meaning learners can derive from the parts.

Etymology

The word landform is made of two simple parts: land meaning 'ground' or 'earth' and form meaning 'shape'. So a landform is the natural 'shape' of the land, like a mountain, valley, or plateau.