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borderland

American  
[bawr-der-land] / ˈbɔr dərˌlænd /

noun

  1. land forming a border or frontier.

  2. an uncertain, intermediate district, space, or condition.


borderland British  
/ ˈbɔːdəˌlænd /

noun

  1. land located on or near a frontier or boundary

  2. an indeterminate region

    the borderland between intellect and intelligence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of borderland

First recorded in 1805–15; border + land

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.

The auditor said his office’s most recent deep dive began with a tip about Thomas Dozler, an Agriculture Department manager whose duties included patrolling Nebraska’s borderland in the F-150.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Then the slippery borderland between fact and fiction, and the perils of ignoring just how slippery it is.

From Salon • May 7, 2025

Leaving his native country meant embarking on a life of exile, not to mention a risky escape on foot across the mountainous borderland.

From Seattle Times • May 23, 2024

Understanding its past as a perennial borderland is essential to knowing how it became the crucible of one of the most bitter disputes in modern history.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2023

Mercy lay on some remote borderland between sleep ing and waking.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare