buffer zone

noun

: a neutral area separating conflicting forces

broadly : an area designed to separate

Examples of buffer zone in a Sentence

There must be a 500-foot buffer zone between the river and the new buildings.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some states, however, have sought to restrict recording of law enforcement by passing buffer zone laws that mandate bystanders keep a certain distance from police activity. —Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2025

There would be a 60-day ceasefire in which Israeli forces would pull back to a buffer zone extending 875 yards into Gaza. —Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025

Along its border with Syria, Israel has established six outposts in the United Nations buffer zone created after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. —Matt Bradley, NBC news, 9 Aug. 2025

The buffer zone law's enforcement had been on hold since September 2024 when a federal judge presiding over a lawsuit filed by a coalition of Indiana media organizations, including IndyStar, ruled that the law was too vague to be enforced fairly. —Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for buffer zone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone

Legal Definition

buffer zone

noun

: an area designed to separate: as

a

: an area with certain boundaries beyond which protestors may not pass

b

: an area separating land used for different purposes

a buffer zone between the development and the park