border
noun
the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.
border
American
[bawr-der]
/ ˈbɔr dər /
noun
-
borders
plural
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the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.
-
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.
-
the district or region that lies along the boundary line of another.
-
the frontier of civilization.
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the border,
-
the border between the United States and Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande.
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(in the British Isles) the region along the boundary between England and Scotland.
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-
an ornamental strip or design around the edge of a printed page, a drawing, etc.
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an ornamental design or piece of ornamental trimming around the edge of a fabric, rug, garment, article of furniture, etc.
-
Horticulture.
-
a long, narrow bed planted with flowers, shrubs, or trees.
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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.
-
the plants growing in such a strip.
a border of tulips along the path.
-
-
Theater.
-
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.
-
verb (used with object)
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borders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bordered,
past participle, past
-
bordering
present participle
-
to make a border around; adorn with a border.
-
to form a border or boundary to.
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to lie on the border of; adjoin.
verb (used without object)
-
borders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bordered,
past participle, past
-
bordering
present participle
-
to form or constitute a border; be next to.
California borders on the Pacific Ocean.
-
to approach closely in character; verge.
The situation borders on tragedy.
border
1
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
-
a band or margin around or along the edge of something
-
the dividing line or frontier between political or geographic regions
-
-
a region straddling such a boundary
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( as modifier )
border country
-
-
-
a design or ornamental strip around the edge or rim of something, such as a printed page or dinner plate
-
( as modifier )
a border illustration
-
-
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
verb
-
(tr) to decorate or provide with a border
-
-
to be adjacent (to); lie along the boundary (of)
his land borders on mine
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to be nearly the same (as); verge (on)
his stupidity borders on madness
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Border
2
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
-
(often plural) the area straddling the border between England and Scotland
-
the area straddling the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
-
the region in S South Africa around East London
Border
3
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bordersimple
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borderssimple
-
have borderedperfect
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has borderedperfect
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am borderingprogressive
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are borderingprogressive
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is borderingprogressive
-
have been borderingperfect progressive
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has been borderingperfect progressive
Past
-
borderedsimple
-
had borderedperfect
-
was borderingprogressive
-
were borderingprogressive
-
had been borderingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing border
"The Civil Rights Movement"
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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The United States
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Los Angeles would have erupted into a parade — and I would have marched across the border to reunite with my family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
Days later, a phone call took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Norway and Finland, both of which share a border with Russia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
Arrivals later fell as border controls tightened, but crossings from Libya have surged in recent years, particularly among people fleeing conflict in Sudan and seeking better economic opportunities from countries including Bangladesh.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
Customs and Border Protection is considering border project adjustments “that would reduce its scope and avoid or minimize potential impacts,” the government said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
“You could take the road,” the old woman continued, “but the border patrol would ask you for identity papers. Do you have any?”
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Customs and Border Protection said it does not plan to build a border wall in the Big Bend National Park, with its steep canyons, but said new patrol roads and vehicle barriers would be added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
Customs and Border Protection vehicles parked outside the county’s busiest early voting location last month, after he’d been repeatedly reassured by the administration that agents would not do this.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
The paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh force said it had deployed forces in Gazipur and Narayanganj, key industrial suburbs around Dhaka, and were using drones to monitor the unrest.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Border crossings are now at their lowest level in decades.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
He has partners in three safe houses on the U.S. side of the river, people who will hide migrants if Border Patrol agents are in pursuit.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
It grew as Europe became more integrated -- although its reach exceeds the continent's borders, with Canada joining next year -- and became as much about the politics as the music.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
Long queues form at the city's borders as vehicles are stopped and checked, leaving commuters stuck in traffic for hours.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The haze billowing out from wildfires in the Indonesian regions of Kalimantan, Papua and Sumatra knows no borders.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
But when a menace appears on its borders, states see the urgency of deciding quickly on the best security approach, without the inevitable burden of the multilateral compromise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Some wanted him to pray for husbands and sons stationed at the borders of the country.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
It also extends down into neighborhoods closer to the coast and bordered by the 5 Freeway and Camino Los Mares.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Our campsite bordered the Fefine, a large river that flows even in the dry season.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
A chain-link fence ran all the way around, and it was bordered on three sides by squat stone houses and on the fourth by another of Yazd’s boulevards.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
At the movies, the PTSD-suffering veteran is a familiar figure, bordering on cliché.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
MCALLEN, Texas — Vanessa Ovalle has a “frontline view” of Texas schools as a single mom and a speech pathologist at a local school in McAllen, a city in the Rio Grande Valley bordering Mexico.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
Communities across all states bordering Wyoming face darkness, breathing difficulties and roofs collapsing under accumulated ash.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Boundaries are extremely tricky to maintain with people who are insistent and/or bordering on pushy.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
As he spoke, he led me to the shelter of the tall hedges bordering the garden labyrinth I had often seen from my window.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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