hinterland
Americannoun
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Often hinterlands. the remote or less developed parts of a country; back country.
The hinterlands are usually much more picturesque than the urban areas.
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the land lying behind a coastal region.
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an area or sphere of influence in the unoccupied interior claimed by the state possessing the coast.
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an inland area supplying goods, especially trade goods, to a port.
noun
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land lying behind something, esp a coast or the shore of a river
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remote or undeveloped areas of a country
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an area located near and dependent on a large city, esp a port
Etymology
Origin of hinterland
1885–90; < German: literally, hinder land, i.e., land behind
Explanation
The hinterlands are affectionately called "the sticks," or the "boonies," short for "boondocks." Use it to specify an area that is far away from a city or town, or even civilization as we know it. Cell-phone reception and cable television aren't guaranteed. The noun hinterland comes to the English language via Germany: hinter is "behind" + land is, well, "land." It actually refers to the land lying inland — or behind — an ocean coast or river shore, which is why backwaters and hinterlands are used interchangeably. Use hinterlands when you want to make fun of an area's backwardness, or to celebrate its natural beauty: "Coming from the unspoiled hinterlands of Louisiana, she found it hard to adjust to the sights and sounds of the big city."
Vocabulary lists containing hinterland
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Inherit the Wind
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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.
In any event, relocating an entertainment behemoth out of California, to some entertainment hinterland like those states, would be more complicated and certainly costly than staying put.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Alder and ash pollen indicated vegetation associated with riverbanks and seashores, which occur along the coast and in the nearby hinterland.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
At a gleaming new factory in China's central hinterland, masked workers in white uniform season and sift through mounds of latiao, a longtime popular snack that has found hungry fans overseas.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Bakaya said Stourton "brought intelligence, authority and an extraordinary hinterland to everything he did".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
While Marcus lay trembling with fear and guilt, and Julius in chains tracked Boots into the hot, dry hinterland, Aurelia was in her mother’s private apartment, where she had been summoned.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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.
