conterminous

adjective

con·​ter·​mi·​nous kən-ˈtər-mə-nəs 

kän-

1

: having a common boundary

conterminous countries

2

: coterminous

3

: enclosed within one common boundary

the 48 conterminous states

conterminously adverb

Synonyms

• abutting
• adjacent
• adjoining
• bordering
• contiguous
• flanking
• flush
• fringing
• joining
• juxtaposed
• neighboring
• skirting
• touching
• verging

Examples of conterminous in a Sentence

for two nations that are conterminous from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the U.S. and Canada have had remarkably little strife

the county and the school district are conterminous

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1999, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the species as threatened throughout the conterminous United States under the Endangered Species List. —Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 18 Apr. 2023

Australia, the island continent, is roughly the same size as the conterminous United States. —Patrick D. Nunn, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2018

The italicization is important: A poet more iconic, more conterminous with the idea of America cannot be easily found. —Neel Mukherjee, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Latin conterminus (from con- con- + -terminus, adjective derivative of terminus "boundary marker, limit") + -ous — more at term entry 1

First Known Use

1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1