hinterland

noun

hin·​ter·​land ˈhin-tər-ˌland 

-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.

Synonyms

• backcountry
• backland(s)
• backwater
• backwoods
• bush
• frontier
• outback
• outlands
• up-country

Examples of hinterland in a Sentence

the colonies hugged the coastline, while the hinterland remained largely unexplored

Recent Examples on the Web

The artist was known for creating sculptures, often using leather and tree branches, to be exhibited for the benefit of a community living in the stark, desert-like conditions of the Bahia hinterlands. —Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Jeremy Strong has ignited Oscar chat with his performance in The Apprentice as Roy Cohn, Donald Trump’s mentor and lawyer during his hinterland as a property developer in Manhattan, but he’s revealed that every studio initially passed on the project. —Caroline Frost, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2024

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. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2024

Their topsy-turvy economy’s hinterland, the drug trade, is a long way away. —Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German, from hinter hinder + Land

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

hinterland

noun

hin·​ter·​land ˈhint-ər-ˌland 

1

: a region lying inland from a coast

2

: a region far from cities and towns