Frontier

/ˈfɹʌntɪə/ · noun

Meaning

The part of a country which borders or faces another country or unsettled region..

Definitions by Sense

1. The part of a country which borders or faces another country or unsettled region.
2. The most advanced or recent version of something; the leading edge.
3. (obsolete) An outwork of a fortification.
4. (intransitive) To live as pioneers on frontier territory.
5. (transitive, obsolete) To place on the frontier.

Example Sentences

the frontier of civilization

There were not many passengers, and the journey was uneventful until the frontier was reached at Padang Besar, although an armed escort of Malay police accompanied the train from Alor Star.

From time to time the coaches of the Lötschberg Railway itself, which in comfort and décor can rank with the finest in Europe today, travel far from the frontiers of Switzerland on through workings such as these.

Unlike a boundary, which evokes the image of a line on a map and demarcates spheres of political control, the frontier is an area where colonisation is taking place....no authority is recognised as legitimate by all parties or is able to [exercise] undisputed control over the area.

But there is also real opposition to Nato expansion - and even to Nato's continued existence after the Cold War. This is a view shared by a very large part of Russia's military and foreign affairs establishment. Educated and trained during the Soviet period, they are still inculcated with notions of super-power military might. It has been painful for these people to see Nato's outer edge creep ever closer to what was once the frontier of the USSR.

The demise of “de minimis”, as the exemption is known, is the latest, symbolic reminder to digital darlings that frontiers exist—and that business models built on their absence are in need of a rethink.

Near-synonyms: vanguard, state of the art

the frontier of solid state electronics

Synonyms for frontier

Antonyms for frontier

Related Words

Word Forms

• frontiers
• frontiering
• frontiered

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions