subtidal.

Situated below the ordinary low-tide level and normally remaining submerged.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• subtidal habitat
• subtidal zone

On the page

The subtidal habitat remained under water when the nearby shore was exposed.

The survey mapped the subtidal zone separately from the intertidal flats.

Usage notes

Primary category: setting / description. Forms: Relational adjective; no ordinary comparative or superlative unless a meaningful degree of the characteristic is explicitly intended. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: spatial orientation, setting description, material description, contrast. Disciplines: descriptive writing, physical setting, spatial analysis. Commonness: uncommon.