hinterland

noun

hin·​ter·​land ˈhin-tər-ˌland How to pronounce hinterland (audio)
-lənd
1
: a region lying inland from a coast
2
a
: a region remote from urban areas
b
: a region lying beyond major metropolitan or cultural centers

Did you know?

When you're dealing with geography, it helps to know your hinterland from your umland. In the late 19th century, geographer George Chisholm took note of the German word Hinterland (literally "land in back of") and applied it specifically to the region just inland from a port or coastal settlement. (Chisholm spelled the word hinderland, but English speakers eventually settled on hinterland.) Early in the 20th century, another geographer adopted the German Umland ("land around") to refer to the territory around an inland town. What hinterland and umland have in common is a reference to a region economically tied to a nearby city. Nowadays, hinterland has a less technical use as well—it can be used for land that is simply out in the sticks. It can also be applied figuratively.

Examples of hinterland in a Sentence

the colonies hugged the coastline, while the hinterland remained largely unexplored
Recent Examples on the Web It was released nearly 30 years ago, at the latter end of the hinterland between the original movie trilogy and The Phantom Menace, during a Wild West moment for Star Wars, when the canon was tested with every book and comic. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Across the river from downtown is a Strathcona neighborhood renowned for its vintage buildings and the popular Old Strathcona Farmers' Market, where a mind-blowing variety of foods produced in the city’s hinterland take the stage every Saturday. Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 In the hinterland, the latest and greatest newcomer is Sun Ranch (from $430), which bowed in October on 55 rolling acres, styled after a rollicking ’70s California escape. Kathryn Romeyn, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2023 TikTok may have just saved romantic comedies from being banished forever from the big screen to the hinterlands of streaming. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2024 For pre-Christian Romans, Africa, or at least the part of it along the Mediterranean that Rome had occupied, was not marginal, not a hinterland. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 The hinterland one sees from the Rovos Rail, of Zambia and Botswana, of Namibia and Tanzania, is the true, largely untrammeled face of the region. Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2023 The campaigns have especially focused on the nano- and micro-influencers, based in the hinterlands, for mass mobilization, messaging, and, more importantly, crisis management. Yashraj Sharma, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2023 The region’s recovery was boosted in 2023 with the opening of the first stage of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, which, when completed in the coming years, will link Byron Shire with a string of hinterland towns via an 82-mile mixed-use pathway. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hinterland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German, from hinter hinder + Land

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hinterland was in 1890

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Cite this Entry

“Hinterland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hinterland. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hinterland

noun
hin·​ter·​land ˈhint-ər-ˌland How to pronounce hinterland (audio)
1
: a region lying inland from a coast
2
: a region far from cities and towns

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