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highland

1 American  
[hahy-luhnd] / ˈhaɪ lənd /

noun

  1. an elevated region; plateau.

    He moved to a highland far from the river.
    Synonyms:
    tableland, mesa, height

  2. highlands, a mountainous region or elevated part of a country.

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of highlands.

Highland 2 American  
[hahy-luhnd] / ˈhaɪ lənd /

noun

  1. a region in N Scotland, including a number of the Inner Hebrides. 9,710 sq. mi. (25,148 sq. km).

  2. a city in NW Indiana, near Chicago.

  3. British. West Highland.

Highland 1 British  
/ ˈhaɪlənd /

noun

  1. a council area in N Scotland, formed in 1975 (as Highland Region) from Caithness, Sutherland, Nairnshire, most of Inverness-shire, and Ross and Cromarty except for the Outer Hebrides. Administrative centre: Inverness. Pop: 209 080 (2003 est). Area: 25 149 sq km (9710 sq miles)

  2. (modifier) of, relating to, or denoting the Highlands of Scotland

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
highland 2 British  
/ ˈhaɪlənd /

noun

  1. relatively high ground

  2. (modifier) of or relating to a highland

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • highlander noun

Etymology

Origin of highland

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hēahlond. See high, land

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Unusually intense monsoon rains pummelled parts of South and Southeast Asia in November and December, triggering landslides and floods from Indonesia's rainforests to highland plantations in Sri Lanka.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Whole city blocks were inundated last week in coastal Nha Trang, while deadly landslides struck highland passes around the Da Lat tourist hub.

From Barron's • Nov. 23, 2025

The slow-moving storm is expected to remain powerful as it crosses Jamaica, whose highland communities are vulnerable to landslides and flooding.

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2025

His ways of coping include going for walks along the beach, playing golf or stroking his highland cows.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025

However, that is not surprising, because modern highland staple crops are plant species that do not leave archaeologically visible residues except under exceptional conditions.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.