landlocked
Americanadjective
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shut in completely, or almost completely, by land.
a landlocked bay.
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having no direct access to the sea.
a landlocked country.
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living in waters shut off from the sea, as some fish.
adjective
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(of a country) completely surrounded by land
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(esp of lakes) completely or almost completely surrounded by land
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(esp of certain salmon) living in fresh water that is permanently isolated from the sea
Etymology
Origin of landlocked
Explanation
Something that's landlocked is completely surrounded by land, rather than by bodies of water. Oklahoma City is landlocked, but San Francisco isn't. There are many landlocked cities in the world, and if you live in one of them but miss the time you once spent on an island in Maine, you may feel landlocked yourself. There are only 42 truly landlocked countries in the world, whose borders don't touch open ocean. Historically, most of these landlocked countries have struggled economically, since access to ocean shipping makes it easier to export goods.
Vocabulary lists containing landlocked
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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Political Geography - Middle School
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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 U.S. proposed building a corridor featuring rail lines, pipelines and roads connecting Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, its landlocked exclave that sits between Armenia and Turkey whose population is more than 99% Azerbaijani.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Khanal had earlier told reporters on Saturday that Nepal needed greater research to "understand the changing dynamics of the Himalayan ecosystem" and the risks they pose to the landlocked country, encircled by India and China.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
Beginning around 2010, the coal industry began pushing for new export sites in California, Oregon and Washington that would deliver coal from landlocked western states to energy-hungry markets in Asia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Mali is a landlocked country and depends heavily on fuel transported from neighbouring coastal countries like Senegal and Ivory Coast.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
In between lanes, kids now play tag, weaving in and out of the landlocked cars, while their parents play cards on the hoods.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
