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Synonyms

inland

American  
[in-luhnd, in-land, -luhnd] / ˈɪn lənd, ˈɪnˌlænd, -lənd /

adjective

  1. pertaining to or situated in the interior part of a country or region.

    inland cities.

  2. British. domestic or internal.

    inland revenue.


adverb

  1. in or toward the interior of a country.

noun

  1. the interior part of a country.

inland British  

adjective

  1. of, concerning, or located in the interior of a country or region away from a sea or border

  2. operating within a country or region; domestic; not foreign

"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

noun

  1. the interior of a country or region

"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

adverb

  1. towards or into the interior of a country or region

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of inland

before 950; Middle English, Old English; see in- 1, land

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing inland

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.

See Examples For:

A major flood threat remained from the storm as it headed northward and inland.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

The hurricane is expected to weaken as it moves inland Saturday, “but Isaias is expected to continue producing gusty winds well inland,” the National Weather Service said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

"The sea arch will eventually crumble into the sea. However, others will replace it as the cliff slowly migrates inland."

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

But the Rhine plays an outsized role, carrying around two-thirds of Germany's inland waterway freight, said Puls.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

I was going slowly along one of the tunnels made by hippos, through the thick undergrowth where they move inland to graze at night, when I heard something moving toward me.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

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