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

The hurricane center warned of potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

The terrain of the ancient archeological site of Delphi, where the oracle and temple of Apollo are located, can be intimidating and scary for older travelers. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Due to the 14-mile-wide (22 kilometers) moon's extremely low gravity, the rover will be able free-fall to the surface damage-free (hopefully), right itself after a few bounces and begin exploring to gather data on the terrain and surface conditions. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Hartney recommends reviewing an itinerary’s activity descriptions with an older parent ahead of travel, paying attention to walking distances, terrain, elevation, long days, and how much free time is built in. — Jenn Sinrich, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 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