# watershed

/ˈwɑtɝˌʃɛd/ (US) · /wˈɔːtəʃˌɛd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/watershed
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. television boundary

noun · CEFR C1 · British English

the time of day (usually 9:00 PM) after which TV channels can show programs for adults.

For teachers: the time limit after which television broadcasters may air content unsuitable for children, such as violence or profanity.

- The documentary was shown after the watershed because it contained strong language.
- Broadcasters must ensure that any material featuring graphic violence is scheduled well after the nine o'clock watershed to protect younger viewers.

Usage: usually used with the definite article 'the'

### 3. drainage area

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Technical

an area of land where all the water flows into the same river or lake.

For teachers: the entire geographical area that drains into a particular river, lake, or reservoir.

- Pollution in the upper watershed can affect the water quality of the entire river.
- The local government implemented new zoning laws to protect the watershed from industrial runoff that threatened the city's primary reservoir.

### 4. geographical ridge

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Technical

a line of high land that separates two different river systems.

For teachers: the topographical ridge or line of high ground that separates two adjacent drainage basins.

- The hikers stood on the watershed, where rain on one side flowed east and on the other side flowed west.
- The continental watershed determines the ultimate destination of snowmelt, directing it toward either the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean.

### 5. marking a change

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describing an event that is extremely important and changes everything that follows.

For teachers: functioning as a modifier to describe an event or period that serves as a significant turning point.

- The court's watershed decision changed the law for everyone in the country.
- The treaty was a watershed event in international diplomacy, ending decades of border disputes between the two neighbouring powers.

Usage: always used before a noun

## Examples

- The invention of the internet was a major watershed.
- The peace treaty marked a watershed in the region's long history of conflict.
- Historians regard the fall of the Berlin Wall as a watershed moment that reshaped global politics and ended the Cold War era.

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