terrain

noun

ter·​rain tə-ˈrān How to pronounce terrain (audio)
also te-
Synonyms of terrain
1
a(1)
: a geographic area
(2)
: a piece of land : ground
b
: the physical features of a tract of land
2
: terrane sense 1
3
a
: a field of knowledge or interest
b
: environment, milieu

Synonyms of terrain

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Examples of terrain in a Sentence

We had to drive over some rough terrain. We hiked through a variety of terrains.
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.
These positions overlap on evaluations and incident reporting but diverge sharply on preemption, open weights and who gets to test, which is exactly the terrain the administration's June executive order is now navigating. — Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The blaze sent a plume of smoke billowing over the region, and as of the evening almost 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) of terrain had been burned, said Courtney James, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026 At the end of the day, those higher numbers are likely just a lucky combination of speed, terrain, and conditions. — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026 This is what happened in the Big Thompson back in 1976, when slow-moving thunderstorms dumped copious amounts of rain over mountainous terrain. — Dave Aguilera, CBS News, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrain

Word History

Etymology

French, land, ground, from Old French terrein, from Vulgar Latin *terranum, alteration of Latin terrenum, from neuter of terrenus of earth — more at terrene

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrain was in 1766

Phrases Containing terrain

Rhymes for terrain

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Browse Nearby Words

terraform
terrain
terra incognita
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrain. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

terrain

noun
ter·​rain tə-ˈrān How to pronounce terrain (audio)
also te-
: the surface features of an area of land
rough terrain

More from Merriam-Webster on terrain

Nglish: Translation of terrain for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about terrain

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