buffer zone

American  

noun

1. a neutral zone or area between two potentially hostile nations, designed to prevent any overt acts of aggression.

2. any area serving to mitigate or neutralize potential conflict.

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buffer zone British  

noun

1. an area lying between two states and providing each with protection from the other

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Etymology

Origin of buffer zone

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

buffer zone

"Our seas are not an empty void or a buffer zone between global powers -- they are our estate, our livelihood, and our identity as stewards of the sea."

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

That route, called the Traffic Separation Scheme, established one 2-mile-wide lane for entering and one 2-mile-wide lane for leaving the Persian Gulf, plus a 2-mile-wide buffer zone.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

He added that the buffer zone needed to remain to "block the danger of invasion".

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

The military is trying to carve out a buffer zone inside Lebanon deep enough to put border communities beyond the militants’ reach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

All of these things are possible: we’ve both reached that borderline age, that buffer zone in which it can still be believed such tricks will work if you avoid bright sunlight.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood