front line
Americannoun
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front lines
plural
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Military. front.
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the place where in-person essential work is carried out, especially in jobs that may involve some risk, as in policing, healthcare, emergency services, public transit, grocery, warehouse, and delivery work.
Our bookstore extends a discount to all the teachers, aides, specialists, librarians, and therapists who are on the front line serving our children in schools every day.
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the visible forefront in any action, activity, or field.
TV reporters are constantly involved in the front line of events.
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Football. front four.
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Basketball. front court.
noun
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military the most advanced military units or elements in a battle
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the most advanced, exposed, or conspicuous element in any activity or situation
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frontline. (modifier)
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of, relating to, or suitable for the front line of a military formation
frontline troops
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of, relating to, or suitable for public service and business employees who are in direct contact with the public
frontline staff
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to the fore; advanced, conspicuous, etc
frontline news
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of or relating to a country bordering on or close to a hostile country or scene of armed conflict
leaders of the frontline states attended the summit
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of front line
First recorded in 1670–80
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.
"Obviously, there are many individuals who work for the Russian state who know that the people they recruit to go to the front line are victims of trafficking," Callamard said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Almost every week this summer brought new reports of drone incursions over the alliance’s eastern frontier—the airspace over which is now a front line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
You may be solving for a requirement that has more flexibility than the front line let on.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Marmoush is primarily a number nine, but he has rarely been confined to one role across the front line.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The flow of people pushed her up to the midpoint of the bridge, almost to the very front line of marchers.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
