buffer zone

noun

: a neutral area separating conflicting forces

broadly : an area designed to separate

Examples of buffer zone in a Sentence

There must be a 500-foot buffer zone between the river and the new buildings.

Recent Examples on the Web

The buffer zone will apply to all first responders, including ICE agents and other federal officers. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026

The league’s argument is that an ABS buffer zone would be impractical. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Israel’s plans for a buffer zone have prompted fears of a longer displacement that would essentially amount to an ethnic cleansing of Lebanon’s south. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026

In the weeks since, fears of a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon have grown, with Israel moving to establish a buffer zone in the area, leveling homes and destroying bridges over the Litani River, which connects the south to the rest of Lebanon, while taking control of what crossings remain. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for buffer zone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone

Legal Definition

buffer zone

noun

: an area designed to separate: as

a

: an area with certain boundaries beyond which protestors may not pass

b

: an area separating land used for different purposes

a buffer zone between the development and the park