cross-country

1 of 2

adjective

cross-coun·​try ˈkrȯs-ˈkən-trē 

-ˌkən-

1

: extending or moving across a country

a cross-country concert tour

2

: proceeding over countryside (as across fields and through woods) and not by roads

3

: of or relating to racing or skiing over the countryside instead of over a track or run

cross-country adverb

cross-country

2 of 2

noun

: cross-country racing or skiing

Examples of cross-country in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Trucks have shipped video tapes cross-country from a storage facility in Burbank to a new facility in New Jersey that houses the CBS News archives. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026

It’s believed that this was also the vehicle used by the late author and political satirist P.J. O’Rourke for a cross-country road trip featured in Car and Driver magazine, circa 1980. —Howard Walker, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2026

Noun

Norway, Sweden, and Finland provide the iconic backdrops for cross-country skiing, along with a scattering of historic venues in Russia and Central Europe. —Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026

If successful, the X-59 could pave the way for faster cross-country travel without the disruptive noise that grounded earlier supersonic ambitions. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cross-country

• backcountry
• countrie
• country
• intercountry

Kids Definition

cross-country

1 of 2 adjective

cross-coun·​try

ˈkrȯ-ˈskən-trē

1

: extending or moving across a country

a cross-country railroad

a cross-country concert tour

2

: going over the countryside rather than by roads

3

: dealing with or being racing or skiing over the countryside instead of over a track or run

cross-country adverb

cross-country

2 of 2 noun

: cross-country skiing or racing