frontline

nounB2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechleans written

Other forms: frontlines

The frontline is the place where the fighting actually happens. On the frontline, frontline troops, frontline staff.

The figurative use is now the commoner, and frontline staff means the people who deal with the public rather than anybody in an office. In war the line is rarely a line at all.

Definitions of frontline

1nounfrontlineThe place where the fighting actually happens.B2
“The soldiers spent three months at the frontline before they were sent home.”

frontline is a place.

Where it comes from

Front plus line, from the forward edge of an army's position.

From front + line.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

← Vocabulary

frontline

nounB2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechleans written

Other forms: frontlines

The frontline is the place where the fighting actually happens. On the frontline, frontline troops, frontline staff.

The figurative use is now the commoner, and frontline staff means the people who deal with the public rather than anybody in an office. In war the line is rarely a line at all.

Definitions of frontline

1nounfrontlineThe place where the fighting actually happens.B2
“The soldiers spent three months at the frontline before they were sent home.”

frontline is a place.

Where it comes from

Front plus line, from the forward edge of an army's position.

From front + line.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA