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

And at the L’Anse-Pleureuse rest area on Route 198, just outside Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis, the view of a lake surrounded by mountainous terrain is well worth a stop. — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026

The company's own fine print says actual range varies with speed, terrain, rider weight, weather, and riding style. — New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026

The shoes can work across multiple rugged terrains and different work environments. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

But previous grids had been tightly bounded—patches of orthogonal civilization within an arcing and twisting terrain. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 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