landfill

noun

land·​fill ˈlan(d)-ˌfil 

1

: an area built up by landfill

2

: a system of trash and garbage disposal in which the waste is buried between layers of earth to build up low-lying land

called also sanitary landfill

landfill transitive verb

Synonyms of landfill

• dump

Examples of landfill in a Sentence

using landfill to dispose of trash

Part of the city was built on landfill.

Recent Examples on the Web

The worst flooding across the Bay will be in areas of former marsh that are now on landfill. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Sponsored by the city’s Natural Resources Committee and the Geneva Park District, the event aims to reduce the number of pumpkins that end up in landfills, according to the release. — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026

Jennifer Elkins, a Val Verde resident who lives less than a mile from the landfill, said her family members have had nosebleeds, respiratory issues and headaches. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Recycling programs sometimes accept plastic products even when there’s no affordable way to ship them to a factory that will make them into something new; as a result, plastic that’s been collected for recycling ends up in a landfill or incinerator. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing landfill

• sanitary landfill

Rhymes for landfill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill

Kids Definition

landfill

noun

land·​fill -ˌfil 

1

: a system of trash and garbage disposal in which the waste is buried between layers of earth

2

: an area built up by landfill