border

1 of 2

noun

bor·​der ˈbȯr-dər 

1

: an outer part or edge

at the borders of the forest

2

textiles : an ornamental design at the edge of a fabric or rug

3

: a narrow bed of planted ground along the edge of a lawn or walkway

a border of tulips

4

: boundary

on the border between New York and Canada

crossed the border into Italy

5

: a plain or decorative margin around printed matter

wedding invitations with a delicate gold leaf border

bordered

ˈbȯr-dərd 

adjective

border

2 of 2

verb

bordered; bordering ˈbȯr-d(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to put a border on

a rug bordered with a pattern of leaves

bordered the garden with pansies

2

: to touch at the edge or boundary : bound

borders the city on the south

Slovakia borders Poland.

intransitive verb

1

: to lie on the border

The U.S. borders on Canada.

2

: to approach the nature of a specified thing : verge

borders on the ridiculous

borderer

ˈbȯr-dər-ər 

noun

Synonyms of border

Noun

• perimeter
• edge
• boundary
• edging
• confines
• circumference

Verb

• margin
• edge
• surround
• bound
• fringe
• rim

Examples of border in a Sentence

Noun

He grew up in Malaysia, near the Indonesian border.

They live just beyond the western border of the park.

the border of the Sahara

The quilt is quite plain except for its colorful border.

a broad red border on each plate

He planted pansies in the border.

Verb

Their property borders the park.

Tall trees border the avenue.

Two rivers border the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The site near the Spanish border draws millions of pilgrims each year, especially sick and disabled believers hoping for a cure from the famed spring water in the Lourdes grotto where the visions purportedly occurred. — Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026

Villegas is in favor of a pathway to citizenship for longtime immigrants as well as a secure border. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Verb

Lithuania, which directly borders Kaliningrad, rejected Moscow’s warning and accused Russia of trying to undermine NATO unity and Western support for Ukraine. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

In Moldova -- which borders western Ukraine and is not a NATO member -- the national police force said in a post to Facebook that a drone exploded and damaged a communications antenna in the Anenii Noi district in the center of the country. — David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bordure, from Anglo-French, from border to border, from Old French bort border, of Germanic origin; probably akin to Old English bord board

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing border

• border collie
• border on
• border terrier
• brush border
• herbaceous border
• the border

Rhymes for border

• boarder
• corder
• order
• warder
• camcorder
• disorder
• recorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder

Kids Definition

border

1 of 2 noun

bor·​der ˈbȯrd-ər 

1

: an outer part or edge

2

: a boundary especially of a country or state

3

: a narrow bed of plants along the edge of a garden or walk

4

: an ornamental design at the edge of a fabric or rug

bordered

-ərd 

adjective

border

2 of 2 verb

bordered; bordering ˈbȯrd-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to put a border on

border the garden with flowers

2

: to be located close or next to

the U.S. borders on Canada

3

: to come very close to being : verge

that remark borders on the ridiculous

borderer

-ər-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

border

noun

bor·​der ˈbȯrd-ər 

: an outer part or edge see brush border