Synonyms of frontiernext
1
a
: a border between two countries
the frontier between Canada and the U.S.
b
obsolete : a stronghold on a frontier
2
a
: a region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory
an expedition to explore the western frontier
b
: the farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement in a particular subject
frontiers in immunology
c
: a line of division between different or opposed things
… the frontiers separating science and the humanities …—R. W. Clark
d
: a new field for exploitative or developmental activity
… the brain lies before us as one of the last scientific frontiers here on earth.—Robert Klitzman
frontier adjective

Synonyms of frontier

Examples of frontier in a Sentence

the frontier between Canada and the U.S. They were sent on an expedition to explore the western frontier.
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.
Adoption and the intensity of use matter as much as proximity to the technological frontier. — Keyu Jin, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 While that debate rages on, what is clear is Meta's own lab, which is now very much pumping out frontier-level models , isn't being valued anywhere near the levels of Anthropic and OpenAI. — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Staying at the frontier of AI is expensive, and Meta carries a lower credit rating than Alphabet, Amazon, or Microsoft, limiting its ability to keep borrowing. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026 When every serious company builds on the same frontier models, the models stop being the difference. — Max Junestrand, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frontier

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fronter, from Anglo-French frountere, fronter, from front

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of frontier was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frontier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frontier. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: a border between two countries
2
a
: a region that forms the edge of the settled part of a country
b
: the outer limits of knowledge or achievement
the frontiers of science
frontier adjective

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