heartland

noun

heart·​land ˈhärt-ˌland 

: a central area: such as

a

: a central land area (such as northern Eurasia) having strategic advantages

b

: the central geographical region of the U.S. in which mainstream or traditional values predominate

c

: a region where something (such as an industry or activity) most strongly thrives

the heartland of high technology

Examples of heartland in a Sentence

We drove into Scotland's heartland.

a politician who is popular in the American heartland

the heartland of high technology

Recent Examples on the Web

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a tribal area, and not really seen as part of the Pakistani heartland. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 9 May 2025

This documentary, which follows four family farms in the Midwest over several years, is a story of perseverance and survival within the farming industry in the heartland. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 1 May 2025

The area once formed the heartland of Mr. al-Assad’s base of support. —Euan Ward, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Luhansk and Donetsk collectively make up the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the country's traditional industrial heartland. —Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heartland

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

heartland

noun

heart·​land ˈhärt-ˌland 

: a central land area

especially : one of great economic and military importance