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.
the border,
the border between the United States and Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande.
(in the British Isles) the region along the boundary between England and Scotland.
an ornamental strip or design around the edge of a printed page, a drawing, etc.
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.
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.
to make a border around; adorn with a border.
to form a border or boundary to.
to lie on the border of; adjoin.
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.
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
( 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
(tr) to decorate or provide with a border
to be adjacent (to); lie along the boundary (of)
his land borders on mine
to be nearly the same (as); verge (on)
his stupidity borders on madness
(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
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.
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
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."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In another work called "What Remains", Sama Beydoun, 29 and living in Paris, showed pictures of her grandfather's now-destroyed home in Bint Jbeil, near the border with Israel, which she last saw in 2025.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Some like Yeon-su say they had never heard South Korean music until they crossed the border.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Mexico City time, with an epicenter about 30 miles southwest of the city of Huixtla, in Chiapas state, near the border with Guatemala.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a picture of the collapse of a maritime-communications tower in Chabahar, which sits more than 350 miles east of the strait near the Pakistan border.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That he could be met only in shadow, on the border between worlds.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Border police at Portugal's Faro airport also told the BBC the Entry Exit System technology suffered from bugs, but insisted any queues there would go down quickly.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Border Patrol agents working to remove violent criminals from our country, U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Border Patrol agents have long blended in the community almost like a part of the landscape, some residents are on edge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
Another demonstrator, Alex Pretti, was killed by US Customs and Border Protection officers later that month, as Minneapolis residents turned out in force to protest anti-immigrant raids.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Border police were swamped, trying in vain to ease the gridlock by dividing traffic into four lanes.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
The situation highlights a difficult reality for policymakers: Some problems can cross borders regardless of tariffs, political boundaries or enforcement measures.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
From there, they flow up the Oubangui River to the Central African Republic, where remnants of the Wagner mercenary group control their distribution through the country—and sometimes across its borders to neighboring nations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“Science is a global enterprise. Especially in biomedical and public health fields, diseases don’t care about borders or government policies,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
He appealed directly to the suspect, saying: "Mark, unthinkable harm has been caused to those around you and this has left your relatives and friends utterly devastated. Criminal investigation knows no borders."
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
It was freshly painted with borders of orchids and lilies and water hyacinths outlining each panel.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
The KBV, a national association representing statutory health insurance physicians, said that it "bordered on madness" to force thousands of people to visit doctors' surgeries simply to fill in forms.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
But Emerald Bay is gate-guarded, accessible only to residents, and its half-mile stretch of golden sand is bordered by the cliffs of two jutting points, geographically cutting off public access via other beaches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Many German commanders, Mr. Hargreaves reveals, felt Rommel favored “speed first, not safety,” and Rommel’s impulsiveness “frequently bordered on recklessness.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
The cars are connected to charging points by the garages for the flats, which are in traditional red buildings bordered by birch trees and a large golf course.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Gray described a place of old stone walls where the earth smelled faintly of tar and hemp, bordered by a river.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
In Shenzhen, a tech hub bordering Hong Kong, robotics company Elephant Robotics is busy fulfilling international orders, with roughly 70% of its sales coming from overseas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Hackett cautioned that increased use of leverage targeting segments of the stock market can be a sign of “optimism that is bordering on a lottery mentality.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Thirteen of the 17 regions of neighbouring Spain were on orange alert on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France was on red alert.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
Since the fire storm, the department has created a new policy to issue evacuation warnings to zones bordering areas ordered to evacuate.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
It was a tiny, beautiful restaurant with white tablecloths and bay windows opening onto a cottage garden—hedges and trellised roses, nasturtiums bordering the flagstone path.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
