terrain

noun

ter·​rain tə-ˈrān 

also te-

1

a(1)

: a geographic area

(2)

: a piece of land : ground

b

: the physical features of a tract of land

2

: terrane sense 1

3

a

: a field of knowledge or interest

b

: environment, milieu

Synonyms of terrain

• area
• realm
• element
• field
• domain
• walk
• department
• sphere
• kingdom

Examples of terrain in a Sentence

We had to drive over some rough terrain.

We hiked through a variety of terrains.

Recent Examples on the Web

David Schulte had helped other cities remove terrain and encourage water-wise sod installations, like a Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass blend. —Gabriela Vidal, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026

In order to gain Bateman's trust, Christine Marie and Katas agreed to film Bateman performing bizarre stunts like running through mountain terrain and riding a dirt bike. —Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

La Gomera is among the smallest of the Canary Islands, with steep terrain marked by volcanic mountains, dense forest and cliffside villages. —ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026

More than 9 miles of relatively short trails with diverse terrain await. —Joie Probst, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, land, ground, from Old French terrein, from Vulgar Latin *terranum, alteration of Latin terrenum, from neuter of terrenus of earth — more at terrene

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing terrain

• all-terrain vehicle

Rhymes for terrain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

terrain

noun

ter·​rain tə-ˈrān 

also te-

: the surface features of an area of land

rough terrain