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.
Mark Carney and Alberta's leader Danielle Smith has worked closely on pushing for an oil pipeline to the west coast from the landlocked province.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Nairobi, a city of nearly six million residents, is a major transit point for trade with landlocked East African economies, including Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi, and serves as a hub for humanitarian organizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Ethiopia, the world's most populous landlocked nation, lost access to them when Eritrea seceded in 1993.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 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
“I am afraid we are rather landlocked at Ashton Place.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
