frontline
Americanadjective
-
located or designed to be used at a military front line.
a frontline ambulance helicopter.
-
of, relating to, or involving the forefront in any action, activity, or field.
a frontline TV reporter.
-
highly experienced or proficient in the performance of one's duties.
-
of or relating to essential work that depends on in-person interactions and may involve some risk, especially policing, healthcare, emergency services, public transit, grocery, warehouse, and delivery work.
Congress is taking up a bill that would guarantee sick leave and hazard pay to frontline workers.
Etymology
Origin of frontline
First recorded in 1910–15; front (in the military sense) + line 1 ( def. )
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.
Zelensky and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius last month received the first drone manufactured by QFI, a joint venture between German company Quantum Systems and Ukrainian firm Frontline Robotics.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Frontline, one of the crude tanker companies, is up 37% this year.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
Frontline health and social care workers can get the vaccine through their employer.
From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026
Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.
From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025
How I’d phoned Frontline Security and spoken to the temp.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
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.
