buffer zone.

An area kept between neighboring territories or activities to reduce conflict or interference.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• designated buffer zone
• residential buffer zone
• border buffer zone

On the page

The agreement created a buffer zone between the rival patrols.

A buffer zone separated homes from the industrial estate.

Farmers needed permits to enter fields inside the buffer zone.

Usage notes

Primary category: setting. Its defining feature is separation by function; it may be inhabited or empty. Not necessarily demilitarized unless specified. Plural: buffer zones. No other inflection applies to this noun.