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• border
  border

  noun

  the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.
• Border
  Border

  noun

  (often plural) the area straddling the border between England and Scotland

border

American  

[bawr-der] / ˈbɔr dər /

noun

• borders
  plural

1. the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.

   Synonyms:

   verge, periphery, rim

2. the line, limit, or delimiting geographic feature that separates one country, state, province, etc., from another: The largest lake within the borders of Canada is Great Bear Lake.

   You cannot cross the border without a visa.

   The largest lake within the borders of Canada is Great Bear Lake.

3. the district or region that lies along the boundary line of another.

4. the frontier of civilization.

5. the border,

   1. the border between the United States and Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande.

   2. (in the British Isles) the region along the boundary between England and Scotland.

6. brink; verge.

7. an ornamental strip or design around the edge of a printed page, a drawing, etc.

8. an ornamental design or piece of ornamental trimming around the edge of a fabric, rug, garment, article of furniture, etc.

9. Horticulture.

   1. a long, narrow bed planted with flowers, shrubs, or trees.

   2. a strip of ground in which plants are grown, enclosing an area in a garden or running along the edge of a walk or driveway.

   3. the plants growing in such a strip.

      a border of tulips along the path.

10. Theater.

    1. a narrow curtain or strip of painted canvas hung above the stage, masking the flies and lighting units, and forming the top of the stage set.

    2. border light.

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verb (used with object)

• borders,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bordered,
  past participle,  past
• bordering
  present participle

1. to make a border around; adorn with a border.

2. to form a border or boundary to.

3. to lie on the border of; adjoin.

verb (used without object)

• borders,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bordered,
  past participle,  past
• bordering
  present participle

1. to form or constitute a border; be next to.

   California borders on the Pacific Ocean.

2. to approach closely in character; verge.

   The situation borders on tragedy.

border ¹ British  

/ ˈbɔːdə /

noun

1. a band or margin around or along the edge of something

2. the dividing line or frontier between political or geographic regions

3. 1. a region straddling such a boundary

   2. ( as modifier )

      border country

4. 1. a design or ornamental strip around the edge or rim of something, such as a printed page or dinner plate

   2. ( as modifier )

      a border illustration

5. a long narrow strip of ground planted with flowers, shrubs, trees, etc, that skirts a path or wall or surrounds a lawn or other area

   a herbaceous border

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verb

1. (tr) to decorate or provide with a border

2. 1. to be adjacent (to); lie along the boundary (of)

      his land borders on mine

   2. to be nearly the same (as); verge (on)

      his stupidity borders on madness

Border ² British  

/ ˈbɔːdə /

noun

1. (often plural) the area straddling the border between England and Scotland

2. the area straddling the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

3. the region in S South Africa around East London

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Border ³ British  

/ ˈbɔːdə /

noun

1. Allan ( Robert ). born 1955, Australian cricketer; played in 156 test matches (1978–1994), 93 as captain; first Australian batsman to score 10,000 test runs

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Usage

What does border mean? A border is the outer edge of a surface or image that marks its boundary in reference to others, such as a border you draw around a picture. A border is also a line that acts as a boundary between two or more geographic areas, whether it’s small areas, like between neighbors on the same street, or large areas, like between countries. To border often means to create a border, as on a picture. To border can also mean to form a border or to be next to one, as in Maine borders New Hampshire to the west and south and Canada to the north and east. Example: The border around the image is quite interesting, but I don’t think it fits the piece.

Synonym Usage

See edge. See boundary.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bordered
  adjective
• borderless
  adjective
• transborder
  adjective
• unbordered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• borders
  plural

Participles

• bordering
  present
• bordered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• border
  simple
• borders
  simple
• have bordered
  perfect
• has bordered
  perfect
• am bordering
  progressive
• are bordering
  progressive
• is bordering
  progressive
• have been bordering
  perfect progressive
• has been bordering
  perfect progressive

Past

• bordered
  simple
• had bordered
  perfect
• was bordering
  progressive
• were bordering
  progressive
• had been bordering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will border
  simple
• will have bordered
  perfect
• will be bordering
  progressive
• will have been bordering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of border

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English bordure, from Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to bord(er) “to border” (derivative of bord “ship's side, edge,” from Germanic; see board) + -ure noun suffix; see -ure

Explanation

When you cross a border from one country into another, you'll need to show your identification papers and maybe a visa to the border patrol officials. A border separates one thing from another, most famously countries. Sometimes neighboring countries have border disputes, if they don't think the lines were drawn fairly or if they don't get along. Borders can also be less official. You might want to plant a border of cabbages along your front walk, or you could sew a border of sequins along the edge of your collar. But you'd have to go easy on the sequins, as too many would "border on the garish."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

border Border borders bordered bordering

"Homer is 2,800 years old, while the Turkish-Greek border is only a century old," he shrugs.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Southern Syria is vulnerable to terrorist activity; such groups have operated near the Israeli border before.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Fill and roll: Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a small border.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Meanwhile, the Romanian defence ministry said a Spanish fighter jet shot down a drone that had breached its airspace near the border with Ukraine and Moldova.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Eventually they also made hazardous supply flights to the partisans, the guerrilla groups who were fighting against the Germans in the Bryansk Forest near the Russian border with Ukraine.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Customs and Border Protection had received just over 252,000 refund applications as of July 31 for tariffs declared unlawful by the Supreme Court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Border agents already have the authority to question a foreigner’s reason for applying for a visa or entering the country.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Border Force had been tipped off about the illegal consignment by the National Crime Agency.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

ICE and Customs and Border Protection rely on about 3,000 community-based providers and local hospitals, which submit about 300,000 claims annually for detainee care, according to ICE.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

These shouters scare me to the bone, they seem so much like the polis and Border Patrol—those bad ones who tried to stop me.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads

The setting is the Prespa lakes region, a mountain valley where three countries—Albania, Greece and North Macedonia—share borders, a park and abundant natural resources.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Manipur borders Myanmar, and India's north-east has been flagged as a route for the illegal trade in exotic wildlife, although authorities have not concluded that the gibbons in this case were trafficked.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

In Sakhalin, Putin, 73, held a meeting "on ensuring the security of Russia's eastern borders," RIA Novosti said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

U.S. officials allegedly devised the ruse after they became concerned about an Iranian threat to target Trump as he left Turkey, which borders Iran.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Everything beyond its borders may have been withering away, but Central Park was full of fall's royal beauty.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

The proposal would create new traffic patterns for ships transiting the strait, which is bordered by Iran on the northern shore and Oman on the southern.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

The action bordered on farce - even Joe Root attempted a reverse-scoop - yet there was little Duckett could do about a spitter from Sears he fended to first slip.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

But Emerald Bay is gate-guarded, accessible only to residents, and its half-mile stretch of golden sand is bordered by the cliffs of two jutting points, geographically cutting off public access via other beaches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

The cars are connected to charging points by the garages for the flats, which are in traditional red buildings bordered by birch trees and a large golf course.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

Her homework bordered on algebra even though it was only fourth grade, and I helped her with it, sometimes doodling spirals or patterns on the side of the pages while she worked.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

Teenager Jasmine Bernard, who lives in a neighborhood bordering Boxtown, has been fighting for two years against the gas turbines that power the data center and spew emissions into the air.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

The discussions between the two countries bordering the strait have grown more significant in recent days, with both Oman and Iran noting there had been some progress.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Perhaps that is why they are loved with something bordering on the religious.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Hackett cautioned that increased use of leverage targeting segments of the stock market can be a sign of “optimism that is bordering on a lottery mentality.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The stories were nothing like his story; for this he felt a gratitude bordering on love.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Related Words

• abut
• adjoin
• encircle
• flank
• neighbor
• surround