frontier

noun

fron·​tier ˌfrən-ˈtir How to pronounce frontier (audio)
ˈfrən-ˌtir
frän-ˈtir
ˈfrän-ˌtir How to pronounce frontier (audio)
Synonyms of frontiernext
1
a
: a border between two countries
the frontier between Canada and the U.S.
b
obsolete : a stronghold on a frontier
2
a
: a region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory
an expedition to explore the western frontier
b
: the farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement in a particular subject
frontiers in immunology
c
: a line of division between different or opposed things
… the frontiers separating science and the humanities …R. W. Clark
d
: a new field for exploitative or developmental activity
… the brain lies before us as one of the last scientific frontiers here on earth.Robert Klitzman
frontier adjective

Synonyms of frontier

Examples of frontier in a Sentence

the frontier between Canada and the U.S. They were sent on an expedition to explore the western frontier.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even Meta, which has faced its own shifting AI strategy, made moves to prepare for the release of its next frontier model, codenamed Avocado, CNBC reported last week. Kif Leswing, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025 Early benchmarks suggest Gemini 3 Flash now competes closely with frontier models from both Google and OpenAI. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025 As Idaho grew from a frontier territory to a state in 1890, the Idaho Statesman grew, too. Idaho Statesman, 16 Dec. 2025 That missing sense may be the next frontier between digital images and physical experience. New Atlas, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frontier

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fronter, from Anglo-French frountere, fronter, from front

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of frontier was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frontier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frontier. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

frontier

noun
1
: a border between two countries
2
a
: a region that forms the edge of the settled part of a country
b
: the outer limits of knowledge or achievement
the frontiers of science
frontier adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on frontier

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