inland
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or situated in the interior part of a country or region.
inland cities.
-
British. domestic or internal.
inland revenue.
adverb
noun
adjective
-
of, concerning, or located in the interior of a country or region away from a sea or border
-
operating within a country or region; domestic; not foreign
noun
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inland
Explanation
Inland means far away from the ocean, or in the very middle of a country. If you were born and grew up in Kansas, you're familiar with inland living. The opposite of inland is coastal. When you travel to the rocky coast of Maine or the soft sandy beaches of Florida, you're far from being inland — you return to your inland home town when you fly back to Gary, Indiana. Inland comes from the Old English inn lond, "land around the mansion of an estate," and it began to mean "land far from the coast" in the 16th century.
Vocabulary lists containing inland
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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.
The Spanish, who had at first just flitted along the coast in their galleons, had begun marching inland and overland from Mexico with crosses and soldiers and soldiers’ families.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
It mapped the key inland transport networks needing specific attention.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
The effort has included helicopters to move personnel and supplies, CH-47 Chinook helicopters to move aid inland, and satellite imagery provided by the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
The study also identified consistent differences between glaciers located on the coastal side of mountain ranges and those farther inland.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
Then the road took a slight turn inland at the point where private homes and private property began and the state beach ended.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
