frontier

[fruhn-teer, fron-; also, esp. British, fruhn-teer]

See more synonyms for frontier on Thesaurus.com

noun

the part of a country that borders another country; boundary; border.
the land or territory that forms the furthest extent of a country's settled or inhabited regions.
Often frontiers.
1. the limit of knowledge or the most advanced achievement in a particular field: the frontiers of physics.
2. an outer limit in a field of endeavor, especially one in which the opportunities for research and development have not been exploited: the frontiers of space exploration.

Mathematics. boundary(def 2).

adjective

of, relating to, or located on the frontier: a frontier town.

Origin of frontier

1350–1400; Middle English frounter < Old French frontier, equivalent to front (in the sense of opposite side; see front) + -ier -ier²

Related formsfron·tier·less, adjectivefron·tier·like, adjectivesem·i·fron·tier, nountrans·fron·tier, adjective

Synonym study

1. See boundary.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for frontier

perimeter, march, borderline, bound, confines, edge, limit, verge, borderland, boondocks, outskirts, unknown, outback, backwoods, bush, hinterland, backwater, backcountry, boonies

Examples from the Web for frontier

Contemporary Examples of frontier

She went ahead and flew on Frontier Flight 1143 from Cleveland back to Dallas.
Ebola Nurses Are As Brave As Soldiers
Michael Daly
October 17, 2014
Nothing but watch, that is, and prevent Kurdish reinforcements from crossing the frontier to help defend Kobani.
Kobani is Falling to ISIS in Syria. Kurd Protests Explode in Turkey.
Jamie Dettmer
October 10, 2014
A guy with a baseball cap tells me that the frontier one closed last month.
Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero
Darren Aronofsky
September 19, 2014
At a minimum it could boost the number of troops it has patrolling the 900-kilometer frontier, Yavuz told The Daily Beast.
Is NATO Ally Turkey Tacitly Fueling the ISIS War Machine?
Thomas Seibert
September 8, 2014
They said that on August 23 they had arrived by train in the Rostov region of Russia near the Ukraine frontier.
Kremlin Is Caught Putting Boots on the Ground in Ukraine
Anna Nemtsova
August 26, 2014

Historical Examples of frontier

The agitations and vexations of other governments stop at the Austrian frontier.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
They may throw a sidelight on the great drama of frontier war.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
Thence we have followed it to Mardan and across the frontier.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
Thus the Mohmands cross the frontier and the action of Shabkadr is fought.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
The dead man, they said, had desired to be buried across the frontier.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for frontier

frontier

noun

1. the region of a country bordering on another or a line, barrier, etc, marking such a boundary
2. (as modifier)a frontier post
US and Canadian
1. the edge of the settled area of a country
2. (as modifier)the frontier spirit
(often plural) the limit of knowledge in a particular fieldthe frontiers of physics have been pushed back

Word Origin for frontier

C14: from Old French frontiere, from front (in the sense: part which is opposite); see front

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for frontier

c.1400, from Old French frontier "prow of a ship, front rank of an army" (13c.), noun use of adjective frontier "facing, neighboring," from front "brow" (see front (n.)).

Originally the front line of an army, sense of "borderland" is first attested early 15c. In reference to North America, from 1670s; later with a specific sense:

What is the frontier? ... In the census reports it is treated as the margin of that settlement which has a density of two or more to the square mile. [F.J. Turner, "The Frontier in American History," 1920]

Frontiersman is from 1782.