Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An international border.
  • noun The area along an international border.
  • noun A region just beyond or at the edge of a settled area.
  • noun An undeveloped area or field for discovery or research.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To form or constitute a frontier; possess territories bordering on or constituting a frontier: with on or upon.
  • To place on the frontier; border.
  • noun That part of a country which fronts or faces another country; the confines or extreme part of a country bordering on another country; the marches; the border.
  • noun That part of a country which forms the border of its settled or inhabited regions: as (before the settlement of the Pacific coast), the western frontier of the United States.
  • noun A fort; a fortification.
  • noun The front or bordering part of anything, as the forehead.
  • noun Antagonistic or insolent bearing or aspect. [The sense of the word in the following passage is disputed.
  • noun Synonyms Border, Confine, etc. See boundary.
  • Of or pertaining to a frontier; lying on the border or exterior part; bordering: as, a frontier town.
  • Fronting; opposite.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Lying on the exterior part; bordering; conterminous.
  • adjective Of or relating to a frontier.
  • noun That part of a country which fronts or faces another country or an unsettled region; the marches; the border, confine, or extreme part of a country, bordering on another country; the border of the settled and cultivated part of a country.
  • noun (Fort.), obsolete An outwork.
  • intransitive verb obsolete To constitute or form a frontier; to have a frontier; -- with on.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun That part of a country which fronts or faces another country or an unsettled region; the marches; the border, confine, or extreme part of a country, bordering on another country; the border of the settled and cultivated part of a country; as, the frontier of civilization.
  • adjective Lying on the exterior part; bordering; conterminous.
  • adjective Of or relating to a frontier.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an undeveloped field of study; a topic inviting research and development
  • noun a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
  • noun an international boundary or the area (often fortified) immediately inside the boundary

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English frountier, from Old French frontier, from front, forehead, front; see front.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French fronter (whence Modern French frontière), from front.

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Examples

  • Serbia and Montenegro_: In the north of the Adriatic, _the entire coast, commencing from the Bay of Volosca_ on the frontier of Istria as far as the _northern frontier_ of Dalmatia, including the whole of the coast-line now belonging to Hungary, the entire coast of Croatia, the port of Fiume and the small harbours of Novi and Carlopago, as also the islands of Velia, Pervicchio, Gregorio, Goli and Arbe.

    Im Weltkriege. English Ottokar Theobald Otto Maria Czernin von und zu Chudenitz 1902

  • About two miles from the German frontier (_frontier_ just here as well as front) an isolated hill rises out of the Lorraine meadows.

    Fighting France, from Dunkerque to Belfort Edith Wharton 1899

  • The IMF groups 11 sub-Saharan economies into what it calls "frontier markets" that have natural resources, viable financial markets, and relative political stability.

    IMF: Rising Prices Threaten African Economic Recovery 2011

  • The IMF groups 11 sub-Saharan economies into what it calls "frontier markets" that have natural resources, viable financial markets, and relative political stability.

    IMF: Rising Prices Threaten African Economic Recovery 2011

  • "With what you call the frontier markets, there is some interest again," he said.

    'Frontier' Markets Ahead For Currency Investors? 2010

  • The term frontier is a key word in the American lexicon, since it symbolizes the vigor and adaptability of the American people and their culture.

    Between Winds and Clouds: The Making of Yunnan (Second Century BCE to Twentieth Century CE) 2008

  • Convenience of crossing the frontier is another, your automobile is another, your future plans for living in México is another, etc., etc.

    Any advise on switching from FM3 to FM2? 2006

  • And so he's launched what they call a frontier strategy, and that is, to find and eliminate the extremists and deliver better governance and economic opportunity.

    CNN Transcript Feb 15, 2007 2007

  • Our road was along the line of the Kuban, the river separating Russia from Circassia; for though the Emperor includes the latter country among "all the Russias," the frontier is as distinctly traced as that of Persia or China.

    Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia 1856

  • Western Europe was up 2. 6%, but where we really saw the boost was in what we call frontier Europe.

    SeekingAlpha.com: Home Page 2010

Comments

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  • Clever crossword clue "back to front?" for "ier" entry.

    May 1, 2013