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frontier

[ fruhn-teer, fron-; also, especially British, fruhn-teer ]
/ frʌnˈtɪər, frɒn-; also, especially British, ˈfrʌn tɪər /
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See synonyms for: frontier / frontiers 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.
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Origin of frontier

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

synonym study for frontier

1. See boundary.

OTHER WORDS FROM frontier

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

Words nearby frontier

front-end processor, frontenis, fronter, front foot, front four, frontier, frontier orbital, frontiersman, frontierswoman, frontis, frontispiece
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to frontier

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

How to use frontier in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for frontier

frontier
/ (ˈfrʌntɪə, frʌnˈtɪə) /
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
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