frontier
Where expansion begins
A frontier is the edge of settled or explored territory—where civilization meets wilderness.
Historically, the American frontier shaped national mythology about expansion and opportunity.
By extension, frontier describes any boundary between the known and unknown: the frontiers of science, the final frontier of space.
A frontier can also be a border between countries, especially in British usage.
One who colonizes territory
- homesteaderOne who settles wilderness land
- colonistPerson inhabiting new territory
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- prospectorOne seeking valuable deposits
trapper · emigrant · sodbuster · squatter · wagon train · land rush · gold rush · stagecoach
Organized exploratory journey
- discoveryAct of finding something
- voyageJourney by sea
- questSeeking journey for something
- adventureRisky exciting undertaking
navigation · mapping · cartography · space · deep-sea · uncharted · unknown · terra incognita
Outer edge or limit
- demarcationFormal boundary setting
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- limitMaximum allowed extent
perimeter · margin · line · interface · barrier · divide · partition · separation
Sparsely populated wilderness areas
- untamedNot domesticated
- wild westUnregulated, lawless environment
- outbackRemote interior wilderness
- bushMulti-stemmed woody plant
hinterland · remote · rugged · pristine · unsettled · lawless · rough · harsh
At innovation's forefront
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- disruptionForceful interruption of process
- advancementForward movement or promotion
- technologyApplied scientific methods
startup · entrepreneurship · research · development · futurism · progress · pioneering · next-generation
settler
One who colonizes territory
- homesteaderOne who settles wilderness land
- colonistPerson inhabiting new territory
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
prospector · trapper · emigrant · sodbuster · squatter · wagon train · land rush · gold rush · stagecoach · fort
expedition
Organized exploratory journey
adventure · navigation · mapping · cartography · space · deep-sea · uncharted · unknown · terra incognita · new world
border
Outer edge or limit
- demarcationFormal boundary setting
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- thresholdPoint of beginning
limit · perimeter · margin · line · interface · barrier · divide · partition · separation · buffer zone
backcountry
Sparsely populated wilderness areas
bush · hinterland · remote · rugged · pristine · unsettled · lawless · rough · harsh · isolated
cutting-edge
At innovation's forefront
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- disruptionForceful interruption of process
- advancementForward movement or promotion
technology · startup · entrepreneurship · research · development · futurism · progress · pioneering · next-generation · emerging
- explorationexploration, explore, expedition, expeditions, voyage
- 1800s AmericaOregon Trail, Trail of Tears, transcontinental railroad, Civil War, Abraham Lincoln
- American frontierwestward expansion, pioneers, homesteading, homesteads, pioneer trails
- Old Westcowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, sheriff, sheriffs
- US HistoryAmerican Revolution, US history, Civil War, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln
- Westernscowboys, western, outlaws, sheriffs, western novels
frontiermetropolis
Large important city
civilization · heartland · establishment · plantation · homeland
frontierconventional wisdom
Generally accepted beliefs
old hat · mainstream · orthodoxy · comfort zone · rear guard
- frontier settlersThose colonizing undeveloped territory
- final frontierLast unexplored territory
- frontier townSettlement at expansion's edge
- western frontierBoundary toward the west
- frontier justiceExtralegal punishment in lawless regions
- the final frontier
fronting, frontiers, frontiersman, affronting, frontispiece, frontiersmen, frontierswoman, frontierswomen