heartland

noun

heart·​land ˈhärt-ˌland How to pronounce heartland (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As reported, De Beers and the government of the Republic of Botswana have tapped the Olympic gold medal athlete Letsile Tebogo to promote the African nation as a heartland of natural diamonds, and to mark its 60 years of independence. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 Five weeks before the midterm elections, Republicans seized on the promise of good-paying jobs and a central role for the heartland in the push for American steel manufacturing. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 President Burchfield is a principled politician who rose to office by trusting his heartland instincts. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026 This, in turn, contributed to the hard pivot of the heartland toward conservative politics. — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heartland

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heartland was in 1903

Rhymes for heartland

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Browse Nearby Words

heart is in the right place
heartland
heartleaf
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Cite this Entry

“Heartland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartland. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

heartland

noun
heart·​land ˈhärt-ˌland How to pronounce heartland (audio)
: a central land area
especially : one of great economic and military importance

More from Merriam-Webster on heartland

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heartland

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