Meanings
plural catchment areas
- geographyAn area from which water drains into a particular lake, river, etc.; the catchment area of a large river includes its tributaries.
Synonyms: catchment basin, drainage basin
- broadlyThe area served by a local institution, such as a hospital or school, or by extension, a railway station.
Wealthy parents buying into preferred catchment areas is nothing new and for years families have been moving to Kent for the grammar schools.
2023 October 14, Alexandra Goss, “The school run”, in FT Weekend (House & Home section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 11 more example
As well as the new station, the funding will allow the building of the Chelmsford North East bypass, enhancing access to and the catchment area of the station.
2019 October, “Funding for 20tph East London Line service”, in Modern Railways, page 18
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn area from which water drains into a particular lake, river, etc.; the catchment area of a large river includes its tributaries.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries; an area characterized by all runoff being conveyed to the same outlet
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 招生地區 /招生地区, 服務地區 /服务地区
- 招生地區 /招生地区 (zhāoshēng dìqū)area served by a local institution
- 服務地區 /服务地区 (fúwù dìqū)area served by a local institution
Dutch verzorgingsgebied
- verzorgingsgebiedarea served by a local institution
Finnish vaikutusalue, palvelualue
- vaikutusaluearea served by a local institution
- palvelualuearea served by a local institution
French bassin de soins
- bassin de soinsarea served by a local institution
German Einzugsgebiet
- Einzugsgebietarea served by a local institution
Hungarian ellátási/szolgáltatási terület, vonzáskörzet
- ellátási/szolgáltatási területarea served by a local institution
- vonzáskörzetarea served by a local institution
- felvevőpiacarea served by a local institution
Polish dorzecze, zlewnia
- dorzeczearea served by a local institution
- zlewniaarea served by a local institution
- zlewiskoarea served by a local institution
Cite this entry
catchment area. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catchment%20area
“catchment area.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catchment%20area. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catchment area,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catchment%20area.
Source: catchment area on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.