fresh water — water that contains no salt, as opposed to seawater; water from rivers, lakes, or rain
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: water that contains no salt, as opposed to seawater; water from rivers, lakes, or rain
Pronunciation (IPA): /freʃ ˈwɔːtər/
Example Sentences
- My goldfish looked confused when I accidentally used salt water instead of fresh water in his tank.
- The desert town desperately needed fresh water for its growing population.
- She preferred fresh water pearls to saltwater ones because they reminded her of peaceful lakes.
fresh water
NOUN[/freʃ ˈwɔːtər/]
water that contains no salt, as opposed to seawater; water from rivers, lakes, or rain

The hiker fills her bottle with fresh water from a cold mountain stream.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Fresh water is a compound term combining two Germanic and Indo-European elements. 'Fresh' derives from Germanic roots meaning 'new' or 'unspoiled', while 'water' comes from Indo-European *wed-, referring to liquid or moisture. Together, the compound denotes naturally occurring water without salt content, emphasizing its pure and renewed state.
Breakdown
fresh (from Germanic, meaning 'new, unspoiled') + water (from Indo-European *wed-, meaning 'liquid, moisture'). The compound combines sensory and compositional elements to describe non-saline water sources.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My goldfish looked confused when I accidentally used salt water instead of fresh water in his tank.”
“The desert town desperately needed fresh water for its growing population.”
“She preferred fresh water pearls to saltwater ones because they reminded her of peaceful lakes.”
“The vampire fish seemed to prefer fresh water over garlic water, surprisingly.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.