terrain

1 a region of activity, knowledge, or influence we're moving into unfamiliar terrain if we bring pre-Columbian art into our discussion Synonyms area, arena, bailiwick, barony, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, sphere, field, walkRelated Words frontier; study, subject; territory, turf; occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation; ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width; subfield, subspecialty

2 the physical features of a region as a whole an analysis of the terrain revealed that an invasion force of paratroopers would have their work cut out for them Synonyms chorography, geomorphology, landscape, geography, topographyRelated Words scenery; ground, land, landform, terrane, terrene

3 the circumstances, conditions, or objects by which one is surrounded a new senator getting lost in the foggy terrain of double-dealing and deception Synonyms ambient, atmosphere, climate, clime, context, contexture, environs, medium, milieu, mise-en-scène, setting, surround, surroundings, environmentRelated Words location, place, position, space; backdrop, background; element; situation, status; geography, habitat; microenvironment