overland

1 of 2

adverb

over·​land ˈō-vər-ˌland 

-lənd

: by, on, or across land

overland

2 of 2

adjective

: going or accomplished over the land instead of by sea

overland emigrants

an overland route

Examples of overland in a Sentence

Adverb

We traveled overland by horse to the mountains.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

One river trader, who typically transported his bananas by boat, told Nolte that he was forced to carry them overland in 104-degree heat. —Alex Cuadros, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2025

Pills can be shipped overland through Jordan; sent north to Turkey, then taken by boat to their destination; or delivered to one of Syria’s ports, such as Latakia, and shipped to ports in the Red Sea. —Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Boom is not the first startup to plan on exploiting Mach cutoff for quiet overland supersonic flight: That was part of the plan for Aerion’s AS2 business jet until that firm shut down in May 2021, citing funding difficulties. —Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 10 Feb. 2025

Despite being the most popular segment of vehicles in the U.S., crossovers like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV get a bad rap, especially in the off road and overland communities. —Bryan Rogala, Outside Online, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

overland

adverb or adjective

over·​land

ˈō-vər-ˌland,

-lənd

: by, on, or across land