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• overland
  overland

  adverb

  by land; on terrain.
• Overland
  Overland

  noun

  a city in E Missouri, near St. Louis.

overland

¹ American  

[oh-ver-land, -luhnd] / ˈoʊ vərˌlænd, -lənd /

adverb

1. by land; on terrain.

   to travel overland rather than by sea.

2. over or across the land.

   a road that winds overland.

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adjective

1. proceeding, performed, or carried on overland.

   the overland route to the West.

Overland ² American  

[oh-ver-luhnd] / ˈoʊ vər lənd /

noun

1. a city in E Missouri, near St. Louis.

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overland British  

/ ˈəʊvəˌlænd /

adjective

1. over or across land

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verb

1. history to drive (cattle or sheep) overland

Other Word Forms

• overlander
  noun

Etymology

Origin of overland

First recorded in 1325–75, overland is from the Middle English word overlond. See over-, land

Example Sentences

With the Strait of Hormuz off limits, ships have been diverted to Oman and Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast with containers then shipped onwards overland.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Developing water and overland trade routes, especially along and between the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, was integral to his project for national unity, which remained unrealized during his lifetime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

As the aviator hid from Iranian forces, the agency spread false word inside the country that the U.S. military had already located the downed airman and were preparing to move him overland for exfiltration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Fort Bliss is a military post focused on training and White Sands Missile Range is the country's largest overland testing range for missiles, rockets and advanced weapons.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

They traveled on overland and water routes the Indigenous peoples made, and ultimately, they used those routes to move their armies in wars against Indigenous nations and other European nations.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz