border
noun
the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.
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border
American
[bawr-der]
/ ˈbɔr dər /
noun
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borders
plural
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the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.
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the line, limit, or delimiting geographic feature that separates one country, state, province, etc., from another: The largest lake within the borders of Canada is Great Bear Lake.
You cannot cross the border without a visa.
The largest lake within the borders of Canada is Great Bear Lake.
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the district or region that lies along the boundary line of another.
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the frontier of civilization.
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the border,
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the border between the United States and Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande.
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(in the British Isles) the region along the boundary between England and Scotland.
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an ornamental strip or design around the edge of a printed page, a drawing, etc.
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an ornamental design or piece of ornamental trimming around the edge of a fabric, rug, garment, article of furniture, etc.
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Horticulture.
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a long, narrow bed planted with flowers, shrubs, or trees.
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a strip of ground in which plants are grown, enclosing an area in a garden or running along the edge of a walk or driveway.
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the plants growing in such a strip.
a border of tulips along the path.
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Theater.
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a narrow curtain or strip of painted canvas hung above the stage, masking the flies and lighting units, and forming the top of the stage set.
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verb (used with object)
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borders,
present (3rd person singular)
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bordered,
past participle, past
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bordering
present participle
-
to make a border around; adorn with a border.
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to form a border or boundary to.
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to lie on the border of; adjoin.
verb (used without object)
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borders,
present (3rd person singular)
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bordered,
past participle, past
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bordering
present participle
-
to form or constitute a border; be next to.
California borders on the Pacific Ocean.
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to approach closely in character; verge.
The situation borders on tragedy.
border
1
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
-
a band or margin around or along the edge of something
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the dividing line or frontier between political or geographic regions
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a region straddling such a boundary
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( as modifier )
border country
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a design or ornamental strip around the edge or rim of something, such as a printed page or dinner plate
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( as modifier )
a border illustration
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a long narrow strip of ground planted with flowers, shrubs, trees, etc, that skirts a path or wall or surrounds a lawn or other area
a herbaceous border
verb
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(tr) to decorate or provide with a border
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to be adjacent (to); lie along the boundary (of)
his land borders on mine
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to be nearly the same (as); verge (on)
his stupidity borders on madness
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Border
2
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
-
(often plural) the area straddling the border between England and Scotland
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the area straddling the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
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the region in S South Africa around East London
Border
3
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
Usage
What does border mean? A border is the outer edge of a surface or image that marks its boundary in reference to others, such as a border you draw around a picture. A border is also a line that acts as a boundary between two or more geographic areas, whether it’s small areas, like between neighbors on the same street, or large areas, like between countries. To border often means to create a border, as on a picture. To border can also mean to form a border or to be next to one, as in Maine borders New Hampshire to the west and south and Canada to the north and east. Example: The border around the image is quite interesting, but I don’t think it fits the piece.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bordersimple
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borderssimple
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have borderedperfect
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has borderedperfect
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am borderingprogressive
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are borderingprogressive
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is borderingprogressive
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have been borderingperfect progressive
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has been borderingperfect progressive
Past
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borderedsimple
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had borderedperfect
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was borderingprogressive
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were borderingprogressive
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had been borderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of border
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English bordure, from Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to bord(er) “to border” (derivative of bord “ship's side, edge,” from Germanic; see board) + -ure noun suffix; see -ure
Explanation
When you cross a border from one country into another, you'll need to show your identification papers and maybe a visa to the border patrol officials. A border separates one thing from another, most famously countries. Sometimes neighboring countries have border disputes, if they don't think the lines were drawn fairly or if they don't get along. Borders can also be less official. You might want to plant a border of cabbages along your front walk, or you could sew a border of sequins along the edge of your collar. But you'd have to go easy on the sequins, as too many would "border on the garish."
Vocabulary lists containing border
"The Civil Rights Movement"
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The United States
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Even if one is reached, Carney will need to sell any concessions made to a public frustrated with - and skeptical of - the administration south of the border.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Experts believe that midges infected with the potentially deadly disease were blown over the border from England, where there are currently 439 cases, external.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
"Homer is 2,800 years old, while the Turkish-Greek border is only a century old," he shrugs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
On Saturday, Trump posted on social media a photo of Kim and himself during a 2019 meeting at the inter-Korean border.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Every mother on both sides of the border warns her children that La Llorona will get them if they wander too close to the river.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott said Monday, while he assesses the southwest Texas site.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Customs and Border Protection had received just over 252,000 refund applications as of July 31 for tariffs declared unlawful by the Supreme Court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"Border Police forces evacuated the tent and are working to evacuate the civilians who were staying there. The incident is still ongoing," the IDF stated.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Border agents already have the authority to question a foreigner’s reason for applying for a visa or entering the country.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Then they all drive north together, and El Tirindaro walks his clients around Border Patrol checkpoints, giving wide berth to the agents.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
The crisis had calmed since breaking out in late July, but it has sparked tensions between EU nations who share open borders as well as criticism of the Spanish government.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
"Not only are we protecting our physical borders from unlawful crossings, but we are also preventing immigration fraud schemes that are just another way to skirt the immigration laws of the United States," Blanche said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
China is already considering similar limits within its own borders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Every few decades since its founding a dark and deadly cycle begins, terrorizing the local community, many of whom are unable to survive beyond the island’s borders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Jefferson noticed that Washington seemed “unusually reticent” about his choice, probably because Mount Vernon adjoined the site and Washington also owned considerable acreage within its borders.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The proposal would create new traffic patterns for ships transiting the strait, which is bordered by Iran on the northern shore and Oman on the southern.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
The KBV, a national association representing statutory health insurance physicians, said that it "bordered on madness" to force thousands of people to visit doctors' surgeries simply to fill in forms.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
At the heart of the dwelling is the “beautifully appointed main residence,” which is bordered by a detached guesthouse, a separate artist’s studio, and a garage with its own bedroom.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
Models walked down a wide runway set up in Manhattan, bordered by 7th Avenue and Broadway, while its famous billboards broadcast the images.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
Moreton Bay is bordered on the north by Redcliffe and on the south by Wellington Point, with Wynnum in the middle.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
Teenager Jasmine Bernard, who lives in a neighborhood bordering Boxtown, has been fighting for two years against the gas turbines that power the data center and spew emissions into the air.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
At the Kuchurgan power station, located on the shore of a reservoir bordering Ukraine, she discovers how a facility that once powered a chunk of the former Soviet empire now enables a digital gold rush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Thirteen of the 17 regions of neighbouring Spain were on orange alert on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France was on red alert.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
There was no immediate response from Moscow, which has previously described similar interceptions as illegal and "bordering on international piracy".
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Mary Lou pointed to the tall stalks bordering the pond.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
