borderland

noun

bor·​der·​land ˈbȯr-dər-ˌland 

1

a

: territory at or near a border

b

: fringe sense 3a

lives on the borderland of society

2

: a vague intermediate state or region

the borderland between fantasy and reality

Synonyms

• border

Examples of borderland in a Sentence

in the borderland between sleeping and waking

He describes adolescence as the tumultuous borderlands between childhood and adulthood.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Flaco took the accordion beyond its roots, marrying the borderland sounds of polkas, waltzes and rancheras with genres such as country, rock and blues. —Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 1 Aug. 2025

These forces shape the lives of children on the South Side of Chicago and in Appalachian hollows, in Native reservations and in borderland colonias alike. —Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025

The borderlands are plagued by nefarious activity, including drug trafficking, cartel violence and human smuggling. —Quico Canseco, Boston Herald, 3 July 2025

Violence in the borderlands between the countries -- which split when South Sudan gained independence in 2011 -- leaves the world's youngest nation in a precarious place only seven years after a cease-fire in its own civil war. —Chris Boccia, ABC News, 22 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

borderland

noun

bor·​der·​land ˈbȯrd-ər-ˌland 

1

: territory at or near a border : frontier

2

: an unclear condition or region separating two clearly different ones

the borderland between sleeping and waking