backcountry

noun

back·​coun·​try ˈbak-ˌkən-trē How to pronounce backcountry (audio)
Synonyms of backcountrynext
often attributive
: a remote undeveloped rural area

Synonyms of backcountry

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of backcountry in a Sentence

he took a month's supplies and headed out to the backcountry
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Others require pure wilderness camping and can only be reached by a backcountry hike or a four-wheel drive track. — Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026 Vermont’s black bears now run well above the state’s management target, and the crowds in the backcountry keep growing. — John Drake, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 So The Free's overall sleeping space is a bit snugger than others but not so snug as to deter ultralight backcountry explorers who are used to sleeping in minimalist shelters. — New Atlas, 28 June 2026 Idaho State Parks and Recreation last week held a ribbon cutting for a new addition to its popular Idaho City backcountry yurt system. — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for backcountry

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backcountry was in 1746

Rhymes for backcountry

See All Rhymes for backcountry

Browse Nearby Words

back-comb
backcountry
backcourt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backcountry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backcountry. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All