buffer zone

noun

: a neutral area separating conflicting forces

broadly : an area designed to separate

Examples of buffer zone in a Sentence

There must be a 500-foot buffer zone between the river and the new buildings.

Recent Examples on the Web

Israeli leaders have said forces will continue to occupy a buffer zone across southern Lebanon, from which residents have been forced to evacuate, indefinitely, until the Hezbollah threat is removed. —May 1, CBS News, 1 May 2026

Despite the truce, both sides continue to strike each other, and Israeli forces have been occupying a buffer zone in Lebanon, demolishing some neighborhoods. —Samy Magdy, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026

Israeli forces are occupying a border strip that extends around 10 km (6 mi) into Lebanese territory, describing the area as a necessary buffer zone to protect its northern towns from Hezbollah rockets. —ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026

The map also outlines a new maritime buffer zone that conflicts with the borders that the two countries agreed on with the United States in 2022. —Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for buffer zone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone

Legal Definition

buffer zone

noun

: an area designed to separate: as

a

: an area with certain boundaries beyond which protestors may not pass

b

: an area separating land used for different purposes

a buffer zone between the development and the park