Synonyms of frontiernext
1
a
: a border between two countries
the frontier between Canada and the U.S.
b
obsolete : a stronghold on a frontier
2
a
: a region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory
an expedition to explore the western frontier
b
: the farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement in a particular subject
frontiers in immunology
c
: a line of division between different or opposed things
… the frontiers separating science and the humanities …R. W. Clark
d
: a new field for exploitative or developmental activity
… the brain lies before us as one of the last scientific frontiers here on earth.Robert Klitzman
frontier adjective

Synonyms of frontier

Examples of frontier in a Sentence

the frontier between Canada and the U.S. They were sent on an expedition to explore the western frontier.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The wall of ice, water and debris that descended from the mountains on the frontier between Nepal and Tibet caused destruction at least 62 miles downriver into Nepal, an ABC News analysis of verified video and satellite images shows. David Brennan, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 Nigeria will be restored to an index that measures equities in frontier markets, three years after it was delisted over concerns about the ability to repatriate earnings. Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Bailey, who also serves as Bank of England governor, warned about the absence of proper guardrails around the technology, underscored by recent incidents in which frontier AI models being tested went rogue. Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Apple has largely ceded the frontier AI model market to competitors such as Google and OpenAI, choosing for now to focus on delivering the new technology through its high-end hardware. Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frontier

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fronter, from Anglo-French frountere, fronter, from front

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of frontier was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frontier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frontier. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: a border between two countries
2
a
: a region that forms the edge of the settled part of a country
b
: the outer limits of knowledge or achievement
the frontiers of science
frontier adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on frontier

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!