hinterland

plural hinterlands · alternative dated hinderland

1. countableuncountableThe land immediately next to, and inland from, a coast.

   In West Wales it has never been possible until recently to exploit the magnificent natural harbour of Milford Haven, for there was no industrial hinterland.

   1961 August, “New traffic flows in South Wales”, in Trains Illustrated, page 492

2. countableuncountableThe rural territory surrounding an urban area, especially a port.
3. countableuncountableA remote or undeveloped area.

   In the film, Hanks is a veteran traversing the Texas hinterlands during the Reconstruction period when he stumbles upon a lost young white girl (Helena Zengel) who only speaks Kiowa, and is forced to undergo a dangerous journey to bring the orphan to her family.

   2021 February 9, Christina Newland, “Is Tom Hanks part of a dying breed of genuine movie stars?”, in BBC

   Synonyms: backwater, sticks, Isolated town, bump in the road, jerkwater, jerk-water, jerkwater town, one-horse town

4. countablefigurativelyuncountableThat which is unknown or unexplored about someone.

   Near-synonym: shadow

   Synonyms: shadow

5. countableuncountableAn area of land far from the sea.

   Synonyms: interior, backcountry

6. countablefigurativelyuncountableAnything vague or ill-defined, especially something that is ill understood.

   Near-synonym: shadowland

   1 more example

   This approach utilizes concepts such as naming, describing, contrasting and equating to access the hinterland between structure and meaning, and to map out the subtle ways in which texts can naturalise the ideology of the perfect female form.

   abstract of 2007, Lesley Jeffries, Textual Construction of the Female Body

   Synonyms: shadowland

7. UKcountableuncountableAn individual's depth and breadth of knowledge, especially a politician's in areas outside politics, such as of academic, artistic, cultural, literary and scientific pursuits.