hinterland
noun
Did you know?
When you're dealing with geography, it helps to know your hinterland from your umland. In the late 19th century, geographer George Chisholm took note of the German word Hinterland (literally "land in back of") and applied it specifically to the region just inland from a port or coastal settlement. (Chisholm spelled the word hinderland, but English speakers eventually settled on hinterland.) Early in the 20th century, another geographer adopted the German Umland ("land around") to refer to the territory around an inland town. What hinterland and umland have in common is a reference to a region economically tied to a nearby city. Nowadays, hinterland has a less technical use as well—it can be used for land that is simply out in the sticks. It can also be applied figuratively.
Examples of hinterland in a Sentence
Jesse Green, New York Times, 2 May 2025
In The Bulwark, Jonathan V. Last emphasized the strategic advantage of a movement that makes its way from the hinterlands toward Washington.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
Each has its own habitués, its own charm, its own scene: Giglio Island; the Monte Argentario peninsula; and a long stretch of beach, dune, and rural hinterland that centers on a cute hill town called Capalbio.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
But air power alone rarely wins wars, and the Houthis have the advantage of a remote, mountainous hinterland where much of their arsenal is probably safe from harm.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hinterland
Cite this Entry
“Hinterland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hinterland. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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hinterland
noun
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