Promised Land
Americannoun
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Canaan, the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. Genesis 12:7.
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(often lowercase) a place or situation believed to hold ultimate happiness.
noun
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Old Testament the land of Canaan, promised by God to Abraham and his descendants as their heritage (Genesis 12:7)
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heaven, esp when considered as the goal towards which Christians journey in their earthly lives
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any longed-for place where one expects to find greater happiness or fulfilment
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By extension, an idyllic place or state of being that a person hopes to reach, especially one that cannot be reached except by patience and determination, is called a “Promised Land.”
Etymology
Origin of Promised Land
First recorded in 1560–70
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.
According to property records, the media mogul’s portfolio in Montecito has dwindled to just a handful of homes, including her Promised Land estate, as well as another parcel of land adjacent to her primary estate.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 15, 2025
Inside this edition, Cranach's map presents the stations of the wilderness wanderings and the division of the Promised Land into twelve tribal regions.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 30, 2025
Holly had been near the front of the standing section when "The Boss" saw her as he went on a walkabout in front of the stage during his song The Promised Land.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2025
For most, the land of Israel is central to the religion, the foundational narrative of which is about returning from slavery to the Promised Land.
From New York Times ● Jan. 15, 2024
They sang protest songs and listened to community leaders who assured them that after hundreds of years spent wandering in the desert of segregation and oppression, the Promised Land was at last within sight.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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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.