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

Israeli forces continue to occupy buffer zone in an effort to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure, with restrictions drawing parallels to those in the West Bank. — Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026

The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a 160-mile-long strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2026

Reaction to the law Some law enforcement leaders have applauded the new buffer zone law. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Israeli troops have carried out incursions and raids in areas of Syria outside the buffer zone, sometimes clashing with local residents, who have increasingly attempted to block roads to keep them out. — Natalie Melzer, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 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