escarpment

noun

es·​carp·​ment i-ˈskärp-mənt 

1

: a steep slope in front of a fortification

2

: a long cliff or steep slope separating two comparatively level or more gently sloping surfaces and resulting from erosion or faulting

Synonyms

• cliff
• crag
• palisade
• bluff

Examples of escarpment in a Sentence

the castle sits atop an escarpment that for hundreds of years made it virtually invulnerable to attack

Recent Examples on the Web

Tries a first flight from the escarpment, a learner breeze across the valley, and realises – wow! —Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025

For a break from the bustle, locals head to the Edge of the World, a dramatic escarpment about an hour’s drive from downtown that drops into an endless stretch of desert. —AFAR Media, 28 Oct. 2025

Perched on the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley with the Ewaso Narok River to the east and the slopes of Mount Kenya to the south, andBeyond Suyian Lodge offers endless panoramic views and access to a wide variety of landscapes, from savannas to rivers and Vechellia woodlands. —Rebekah Peppler, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2025

This park is all escarpments, rivers, and old forests. —Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French escarpement, from escarper to scarp, from Middle French, from escarpe scarp, from Old Italian scarpa — more at scarp

First Known Use

circa 1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

escarpment

noun

es·​carp·​ment is-ˈkärp-mənt 

1

: a steep slope in front of a fort or defensive area

2

: a long cliff