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

• dump
• sanitary landfill
• tip [chiefly British]

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

Since 2010, the program has diverted more than 1.7 million pounds of food that would have otherwise gone to landfills to help feed those experiencing food insecurity. —Gary Occhiogrosso, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

From straws and bags to take-out containers, single-use plastics crowd landfills and clog waterways. —Aissa Dearing, JSTOR Daily, 22 May 2025

Trash and Transparency In Russell County, officials tried to address a similar set of problems with an unpopular solution: a giant landfill. —Ben Paviour, New York Times, 19 May 2025

Environmental advocates and community members expressed concerns that the rollback could result in toxic dust blowing into communities near local landfills or dangerous chemicals leaching into groundwater. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025

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