heartland

noun

heart·​land ˈhärt-ˌland 

: a central area: such as

a

: a central land area (such as northern Eurasia) having strategic advantages

b

: the central geographical region of the U.S. in which mainstream or traditional values predominate

c

: a region where something (such as an industry or activity) most strongly thrives

the heartland of high technology

Examples of heartland in a Sentence

We drove into Scotland's heartland.

a politician who is popular in the American heartland

the heartland of high technology

Recent Examples on the Web

Pope, who has been making programs for decades but only made his first for a streamer last year, has been scratching his head of late about the entrance of the American streaming giants into his factual drama heartland. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 May 2026

Behind every funnel cake and every 4-H banner stands a tradition more than two centuries in the making, and the heartland has been at the heart of it almost from the start. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026

The modern American fair has roots stretching back more than two centuries, but the Midwest has made the format its own — turning agricultural exhibitions into massive entertainment events that define summers across the heartland. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026

Dimitsana and Arcadian mountain trails The heartland of the Peloponnese is Arcadia, a mountainous province of gorges and hills, many precariously topped by medieval towns. —Helen Brown, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heartland

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

heartland

noun

heart·​land ˈhärt-ˌland 

: a central land area

especially : one of great economic and military importance