1 borderland | Definition of borderland

borderland

noun
bor·​der·​land | \ ˈbȯr-dÉ™r-ËŒland How to pronounce borderland (audio) \

Definition of borderland

1a : territory at or near a border
b : fringe sense 3a lives on the borderland of society
2 : a vague intermediate state or region the borderland between fantasy and reality

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Synonyms for borderland

Synonyms

border, frontier, march

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Examples of borderland in a Sentence

in the borderland between sleeping and waking He describes adolescence as the tumultuous borderlands between childhood and adulthood.

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s only been part of France since 1945, and the borderland’s dual heritage explains the whimsical blend of architecture (kaleidoscopic houses in timber framing), cuisine (pork-heavy, with thick sauces and lots of sauerkraut), and culture. Tyler Moss, Condé Nast Traveler, "An Autumnal Road Trip Through Alsace Wine Country," 13 Aug. 2019 Rebels from Libya would use the borderlands as a rear base. The Economist, "Pyramid scheme," 6 July 2019 Imperial China, too, used its military to expand its borders and house refugees in ever farther-flung borderlands. Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Human migration sparked by wars, disasters, and now climate," 12 June 2019 The army now claims that peace has been restored in the tribal borderlands and that rebuilding is under way. The Economist, "Pakistan’s borderlands at last win a say in their own administration," 20 July 2019 PhotoQuest/Getty Images Between 1910 and 1920, state law enforcement officers and Anglo vigilantes in the Texas-Mexico borderlands murdered hundreds of ethnic Mexican residents, American citizens and Mexican nationals alike. Time Staff, Time, "15 Unsung Moments From American History That Historians Say You Should Know About," 28 June 2019 Thus the reader witnesses their inexperienced but intelligent eyes and ears recording each detail of the borderlands and registering the full terror of them. Lidija Haas, Harper's magazine, "New Books," 10 Feb. 2019 Similar cemeteries exist in North Africa, Yemen, Malaysia, and the borderlands of the United States and Mexico. Matthew Wolfe, Harper's magazine, "Without a Trace," 10 Feb. 2019 But the presence of a military base and the city’s distance from the borderlands can protect Agadez for only so long. Robert Draper, National Geographic, "Surrounded by chaos, Niger is a nation on the edge," 17 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'borderland.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of borderland

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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More Definitions for borderland

borderland

noun

English Language Learners Definition of borderland

: the land on either side of a border between countries
: an unclear state or condition that is between two things and is like each of them in some ways

More from Merriam-Webster on borderland

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with borderland

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