highland
1 Americannoun
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a region in N Scotland, including a number of the Inner Hebrides. 9,710 sq. mi. (25,148 sq. km).
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a city in NW Indiana, near Chicago.
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British. West Highland.
noun
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a council area in N Scotland, formed in 1975 (as Highland Region) from Caithness, Sutherland, Nairnshire, most of Inverness-shire, and Ross and Cromarty except for the Outer Hebrides. Administrative centre: Inverness. Pop: 209 080 (2003 est). Area: 25 149 sq km (9710 sq miles)
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(modifier) of, relating to, or denoting the Highlands of Scotland
noun
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relatively high ground
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(modifier) of or relating to a highland
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of highland
before 1000; Middle English; Old English hēahlond. See high, land
Vocabulary lists containing highland
The United States
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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.
A herd of highland cows has been removed from a nature reserve after warnings to visitors drawn in by a social media-driven surge in interest were ignored, a wildlife trust has said.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Whole city blocks were inundated last week in coastal Nha Trang, while deadly landslides struck highland passes around the Da Lat tourist hub.
From Barron's • Nov. 23, 2025
Whole sections of coastal Nha Trang city were inundated last week, while deadly landslides struck highland passes around the Da Lat tourist hub.
From Barron's • Nov. 23, 2025
His ways of coping include going for walks along the beach, playing golf or stroking his highland cows.
From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025
By around 5,000 years ago, pollen analyses testify to widespread deforestation of highland valleys, suggesting forest clearance for agriculture.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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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.