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

In Vancouver, where 3,000 homes are being demolished per year, that adds up quickly to a lot of landfill. —Jennifer Castenson, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

Hartford Courant This should be no surprise, given that only about 9% of the world’s plastic is actually recycled, and 70% ends up in landfills or in the environment. —Andre Garron, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2025

Maui officials announced an effort to have 50 trucks begin transporting debris from the 2023 Lahaina fire to a landfill starting next Monday. —Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2025

Every second of every day, a garbage-truck-sized load of clothing is dumped in landfills. —Karen Dougherty, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 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