borderland

American  

[bawr-der-land] / ˈbɔr dərˌlænd /

noun

1. land forming a border or frontier.

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

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borderland British  

/ ˈbɔːdəˌlænd /

noun

1. land located on or near a frontier or boundary

2. an indeterminate region

   the borderland between intellect and intelligence

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Etymology

Origin of borderland

First recorded in 1805–15; border + land

Example Sentences

The festival’s third-place Jury Prize went to the borderland German drama “The Dreamed Adventure,” directed by Valeska Grisebach.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

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

The Ukrainian borderland has long been a place where cultures merge and interchange.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2024

“You can crack down on these symptoms and the manifestations … that you can see in the borderland areas,” he said, “but they’ll come back unless you really have a sustained effort.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2023

In the borderland east of Ukrainia in Russia, there was a community of Cossacks who were members of the Greek Orthodox Church.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok