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.

---

buffer zone British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of buffer zone

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

buffer zone

In March last year, the two sides agreed to measures including new crossing points on the UN-patrolled buffer zone and a joint solar farm.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

"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

The city, which sits on the UN-patrolled buffer zone known as the Green Line, is sometimes called the world's last divided capital.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026

“He’s got an eleven-thousand-mile buffer zone from all this sweetness and light.”

From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman