land
noun
any part of the earth's surface not covered by a body of water; the part of the earth's surface occupied by continents and islands.
land
1 American
[land]
/ lænd /
noun
-
lands
plural
-
any part of the earth's surface not covered by a body of water; the part of the earth's surface occupied by continents and islands.
Land was sighted from the crow's nest.
-
an area of ground with reference to its nature or composition.
arable land.
-
an area of ground with specific boundaries.
to buy land on which to build a house.
-
rural or farming areas, as contrasted with urban areas.
They left the land for the city.
-
Law.
-
any part of the earth's surface that can be owned as property, and everything annexed to it, whether by nature or by the human hand.
-
any legal interest held in land.
-
-
Economics. natural resources as a factor of production.
-
a part of the surface of the earth marked off by natural or political boundaries or the like; a region or country.
They came from many lands.
-
the people of a region or country
-
Audio. the flat surface between the grooves of a phonograph record.
-
a realm or domain.
the land of the living.
-
a surface between furrows, as on a millstone or on the interior of a rifle barrel.
-
Scot. a tenement house.
verb (used with object)
-
lands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
landed,
past participle, past
-
landing
present participle
-
to bring to or set on land.
to land passengers or goods from a ship; to land an airplane.
-
to bring into or cause to arrive in a particular place, position, or condition.
His behavior will land him in jail.
-
Informal. to catch or capture; gain; win.
to land a job.
-
Angling. to bring (a fish) to land, or into a boat, etc., as with a hook or a net.
verb (used without object)
-
lands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
landed,
past participle, past
-
landing
present participle
-
to come to land or shore.
The boat lands at Cherbourg.
-
to go or come ashore from a ship or boat.
-
to alight upon a surface, as the ground, a body of water, or the like.
to land on both feet.
-
to hit or strike the ground, as from a height.
The ball landed at the far side of the court.
-
to strike and come to rest on a surface or in something.
The golf ball landed in the lake.
-
to come to rest or arrive in a particular place, position, or condition (sometimes followed byup ).
to land in trouble; to land up 40 miles from home.
verb phrase
idioms
-
land / fall on one's feet, feet.
-
see how the land lies, to investigate in advance; inform oneself of the facts of a situation before acting.
You should see how the land lies before making a formal proposal.
Land
2
American
[land]
/ lænd /
noun
-land
3
American
land
1
British
/ lænd /
noun
-
the solid part of the surface of the earth as distinct from seas, lakes, etc
-
-
ground, esp with reference to its use, quality, etc
-
( in combination )
land-grabber
-
-
rural or agricultural areas as contrasted with urban ones
-
farming as an occupation or way of life
-
law
-
any tract of ground capable of being owned as property, together with any buildings on it, extending above and below the surface
-
any hereditament, tenement, or other interest; realty
-
-
-
a country, region, or area
-
the people of a country, etc
-
-
a realm, sphere, or domain
-
economics the factor of production consisting of all natural resources
-
the unindented part of a grooved surface, esp one of the ridges inside a rifle bore
-
the prevailing conditions or state of affairs
verb
-
to transfer (something) or go from a ship or boat to the shore
land the cargo
-
(intr) to come to or touch shore
-
to come down or bring (something) down to earth after a flight or jump
-
to come or bring to some point, condition, or state
-
(tr) angling to retrieve (a hooked fish) from the water
-
informal (tr) to win or obtain
to land a job
-
informal (tr) to deliver (a blow)
Land
2
British
/ lant /
noun
Land
3
British
/ lænd /
noun
land
More Idioms
Usage
What does -land mean? The combining form -land is used like a suffix meaning “land.” It is occasionally used in everyday and technical terms. The form -land comes from Old English.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
landsimple
-
landssimple
-
have landedperfect
-
has landedperfect
-
am landingprogressive
-
are landingprogressive
-
is landingprogressive
-
have been landingperfect progressive
-
has been landingperfect progressive
Past
-
landedsimple
-
had landedperfect
-
was landingprogressive
-
were landingprogressive
-
had been landingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of land
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, German, Old Norse, Gothic land; akin to Irish lann “open space,” Welsh llan “church” (originally “enclosure”), Breton lann “heath.” See lawn 1
Explanation
Use the noun land to talk about the solid ground under your feet. It's nice to put your feet on dry land after a long trip in a sailboat. People who are afraid of flying are usually overjoyed to land on the land after hours in the sky — land is also a verb meaning "to settle down on the ground." You can use the word land, as well, to describe a government or ruler's territory: "He rules over the land between those mountains and the rocky coast." The words for land are the same in English, German, and Dutch, as the root is the Germanic landom.
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:
The organization, known as ARRC, is designed to command the alliance’s land forces in the event of a conflict or crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
But community grazing land had been taken over and there was a new plan for nearly 150 graves to be exhumed to give way to mining, said Machocho, from the residents' association.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026
She believes there are lots of people who want to do similar work, and they should be given access to land and affordable housing to do so.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
Greater neck flexibility eventually evolved and became an important advantage for land vertebrates.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026
“I’m a Samuels. I can claim land for our family.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The fee change will bring L.A. in line with other cities across California, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield said during a Planning and Land Use Commission meeting in August.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
It was introduced by the Scottish government primarily to target people who are buying second or buy-to-let homes and is paid in addition to Land and Buildings Transaction Tax.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026
Land inside your declared error bars and you are protected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
In 2018, it set up the nonprofit Tataviam Land Conservancy to acquire land — a typical strategy for tribes without federal recognition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
I had nothing to read but The Bobbsey Twins in Eskimo Land, a childish book with nothing whatsoever to hold my interest.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
"We have large, sizable, fertile -land and good water," says Shihab.
From Time Magazine Archive
Shells, colour of, affected by light. -from Van Diemen's land. -land, extinct, at St. Helena. -particles of, drifted by the wind at St. Helena.
From Volcanic Islands by Charles Darwin
"Our homes, the graves of our loved ones, our olive trees, our lands -- it all risks being torn from our hands," says Nejla Isik, pointing to the area on a map.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
If a similar offer lands in your inbox, work through these five questions before you pick up the pen.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
The loss lands largely on shareholders, who can’t withdraw their paid-in capital, preventing a run on the company’s coffers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
By then Doheny had extended his petro-empire to the Teapot Dome federal lands in Wyoming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
The spirit lands, back first, on the ground between me and Ama.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Doncic grabbed at his ankle immediately after he landed and Lakers staff members tended to him while Kuzma’s closeout was challenged for a potential flagrant foul.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
Phil Bohn and his wife, Abbey, were deep into house hunting in Pittsburgh this June when a fortuitously timed email landed in his inbox.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
Rising from marketing chief to chief executive has traditionally been a rare feat, but a growing group of industry professionals have landed the top spot in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
The punchline landed just as Julia Jasunas intended -- except the American comedian was not the one delivering it.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
The dragon landed carefully on a small rock of an island with a lake in the center of it.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Users can see their chances of landing certain cards beforehand.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2026
The Civil Aviation Authority said a licence had been granted to EHang to test its two-seater, pilotless electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capability.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
You would have to say we faked the moon landing nine times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
Both companies are working toward having their systems ready to support a crewed Moon landing in 2028.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
It thudded down, landing at an angle on another fallen tree.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
